New Friends
by Colby-Triggerhappy
Summary: With the Leaf Village turning into a major railroad town. The son of an engineer moves to the Leaf Village. Will this child of the rails finally make friends his age or will old family issues make things hard for him?
1. Chapter 1

Doing this one for fun, just going with what comes to my mind. Naruto characters may be a lil ooc. I love trains so they will be seen often in this story.

I don't own anything, except my character.

* * *

The deafening sound of the locomotive whistle screamed through the cab and startled Colby as he fell out of his seat to the black, coal dust covered floor of the cab. His father looked back and laughed as he pulled on the whistle cord again, eased off the throttle and gradually applied the air brakes.

"We are almost at the Leaf Village. Mike, let Colby tend the fire on our way in" Colby's dad said over the rhythm of the clanking driving rods and the roar in the cab as the engine's steel wheels rolled down the twin ribbons of steel. As he took the brakes off the sound of air escaping whistled through the cab.

"Alright Colby, your turn" said Mike the fireman with a grin as he handed Colby the scoop (railroader talk for shovel). Colby smiled back and took his turn tending the fire in the massive firebox. As he opened the firebox doors, a ball of intense heat greeted his face as he looked in to check the fire. It looked good and shut the firebox doors. Glancing out the cab window Colby saw a squad of Leaf ninja running along side the train almost trying to beat it to the Leaf Village. Looking back into the gauges in the cab, and seeing the water level low in the boiler. Colby opened the red spigot underneath the brass handle of the water injector then pulled on the handle. With a thud the handle came back and water flowed into the boiler. Looking at the numerous gauges on his side of the cab, everything looked good. Then he looked up at the big brass steam pressure gauge and frowned.

"Mike! You had to let the pressure drop." Colby yelled, making sure Mike and his father heard. Mike shrugged his shoulders.

"Hey, I wasn't the one sleeping for most of ride. You know to get the pressure back up, so do it." Mike yelled back "Just don't pop the safeties"

Colby smiled, he had a habit of popping the steam pressure safety valves as the engine pulled into the station. It annoyed Mike to no end but Mike could never say that there wasn't any steam pressure in the boiler when it was time to pull out and head to the next station. Colby shut off the water injector and and blew down the water glass to make sure it was accurate. A whoosh of steam blasted out of engine which was instantly followed by a yell. Started Colby turned and looked out the cab window. The squad of ninja was still racing the engine. The squad had four ninja in it. Two girls and two guys, Colby didn't take a good look at the girls but looked at the guy that was the closest to the engine. He was wearing a orange and black jump-suit and had short blonde hair and didn't look too happy.

"Hey watch what your doing! You almost too me out with that steam!" he yelled up to Colby. Colby smiled and reached for the knob to blow down the water glass.

"Too bad. Don't run so close to the engine then, you get too close and it wont be a pretty sight when they pick up the pieces." Colby yelled back and blew down the water glass and watched as a cloud of white steam erupted from under the locomotive and enveloped the blonde haired ninja. Again the ninja yelled, the girls and the other guy in the squad laughed.

"Naruto! You should have listened to him!" shouted one of the girls. She had blonde hair like the ninja in the orange but she had hers in a long pony-tail and whore a purple what looked to Colby like a workout t-shirt that stopped just above her waist and had a matching purple mini-skirt.

"Ino, I didn't have time to more before he shot steam at me!" shouted the ninja in orange.

Colby figured the ninja in orange was named Naruto and the other on in purple was named Ino. He smiled and looked down the tracks he could see the station platform coming into view and the rail yard beyond it. He looked back to where the ninja known as Naruto was running and seeing that he had backed off, blew down the water glass. Looking back to the pressure gauge he smiled as he saw the needle at 250psi. The safety valves popped or went off at 260psi. Colby grinned as he shouted over to Mike.

"Hey Mike! Look!" Mike glanced up at the gauge and glared at Colby "What? I didn't do anything to the fire! You can't blame me this time, this one is all you" Colby smiled, he knew that Mike would still be blamed for the safeties popping in the station, because as he figured Colby was the fireman when the train can into the station it was his fault the safeties popped.

"Bell" called out Colby's father as he backed completely off the throttle and started to work the air brakes. Each time he released the brakes a hiss of air escaped from the handle. Colby grabbed hold of the steel cable that hung above his head and rang the large brass bell, as it rang it echoed through the station, the cylinder clocks opened and steam hissed out of the cylinders at the front of the engine each time the piston in them moved back and forth turning the wheels. The station platform was bathed in steam as the engine eased to a stop. When the engine and the train it was pulling had stopped a sharp blast from the whistle echoed through out the village. Up a head on the ready track was a fresh locomotive and crew waiting to take the train over for the next part of it's journey.

Colby was the first to climb down from the cab. His once blue overalls and denim jacket were now black from the coal dust from the cab. In short Colby was covered head to toe in back coal dust, but he didn't mind. He enjoyed the looks people gave him when they looked at him when he was this dirty because he knew that they would most likely never know how much work and fun firing a steam locomotive was. His father climbed down and even though he didn't do the fireman's job he was just as dirty as Colby was. Mike handed each of them a oil can and together they started to oil and lube up the connecting rods, running gear, journal boxes (wheel bearings) and greased the slide rod that connects the piston to the running gear. When they had finished Colby sat on the floor of the cab and let his legs hang out over the ladder heading up to the cab and started eating his lunch, which consisted of leftover pizza from dinner last night heated by the firebox. His dad and Mike sat up in the cab and ate their lunch as well.

"Hey Colby, you know we are moving to this village right?" said his father. Colby looked at him in surprise and disbelief.

"What? Why are we moving to this village?" said Colby, he liked the village he lived in. It was big but not as big at the Leaf Village and it was the main rail town in the whole system.

"The higher-ups are switching my home base to this village. They are going to be expanding the engine terminal here to increase capacity and help relieve the pressure on the current terminal." he explained.

"Oh." replied Colby as he looked down the platform. Colby wasn't that disappointed about the news he had few friends back in the other village but they were all sons of engineers and firemen like he was so he figured that he would probably see them once in a while out on the high iron but other than that he really didn't have any other friends.

Walking down the platform Colby could see the squad of ninja that had been running next to the engine earlier. He could tell Ino and Naruto were arguing and behind them were the other two ninja. As they got closer, the other two ninja were rolling their eyes at Naruto and Ino as they argued. The other girl ninja had cotton candy pink hair which Colby thought was a little bit strange but didn't mind, she wore a red skirt with white marking that came down to about her mid thigh, the other boy ninja had red triangle shaped markings on both of his cheeks and wore a grey-ish sweat shirt with grey pants and had the biggest, white dog he hadn't seen before.

"Hey!" Colby called out to them and the group walked up to the cab. He jumped down and did his best to wipe away the coal dust and grime from his face. Ino laughed.

"Jease kid you get that dirty from just riding in that engine?" Ino smiled.

"Not just riding, I also work in the cab. It's a lot of fun for me." Colby smiled, Ino, Naruto and the other two looked to be about his age which he liked because most kids his age that were not the sons of engineers or firemen just teased him about it but not here. Ino looked surprised too.

"Really? I though they didn't allow kids to work on these things." Ino said. She looked at the engine in wonder.

"My dad is the engineer so, I can ride in the cab with him and help out the fireman." Colby smiled proudly, first time he had meet a girl that seemed impressed that he worked in the cab of the locomotive.

"What about school? Didn't you ever go to school?" asked Ino curiously. _Only lame bumbs on the street didn't go to school_ she thought _but this kid seem pretty cool._

"Yeah I did go to school but never finished high school. Chose the life on the rails over finished school after my mom died." Colby looked at the running gear on the locomotive as the thought of his mother crossed his mind.

"Oh, I'm sorry. " said Ino then she glaced over at Naruto and the other two who were sitting on the bench looking at Ino and seemed kinda annoyed. "Say you want to come into town with us and get some lunch and maybe clean up a bit." she giggled. Colby smiled and looked up to the cab and saw Mike and his father leaning out and listening to their conversation. His father smiled.

"Go ahead Colby. Me and Mike can put the engine away today."

"Thanks dad!" said Colby as he took off his black coal dust covered gloves and put them in his back pocket and started to walk with Ino towards Naruto and the other ninja. "Say I never caught your name"

"I'm Ino Yamanaka and that's Naruto in the orange, Sakura in the pink and Kiba with his dog Akamaru." Ino said as she pointed to each one.

"Nice. I'm Colby Miles. I'll be moving to this village pretty soon because the railroad is expanding the engine facility here."

"You are! Nice!" Ino said "C'mon guys let's show our new friend here around town"

"But, Ino..." said Naruto, but Ino cut him off.

"Shut up. You, Sakura and Kiba can go see Tunseda and report our mission to her. If she asks where I am tell her I'm in the bathroom"  
Ino said. Colby laughed, he was all too familiar with that excuse. With that the group walked into town together.

* * *

Colby, Ino, Naruto Sakura and Kiba walked together towards the Hokage Tower. Colby's head was moving like it was on a swivel looking all around at the buildings and the people walking around. He wasn't so much as admiring the sights as he was making mental notes and establishing land marks he could use to help find his way around the village when he is alone. Ino talked the entire way from the station to the platform telling Colby almost everything about the village. He didn't mind as he listened and took mental notes on buildings he would use for land marks. As they approached Hokage Tower, Colby took a good look at the large building with it's cylinder shaped tower. The group entered and headed up the stairs to Lady Tsunade's office.

Colby looked at himself and smiled, he was still covered head to toe in coal dust and smelled like fire and hot oil. Only his hands and face were kind of clean... They weren't spotless but _cleaner _than the clothes he had on. He knew he looked like he was lost because rarely did steam crews venture into town without making an attempt to clean themselves up, but what the heck he didn't mind as long as he could find his way back to the station. He also figured that this Tsunade person wasn't going to be greatly impressed at his appearance.

"Hey Ino?" Colby said as they came to the door that he assumed to be the one that lead into the Hokage's office becuase of the ornimental trim that covered the door frame.

"Yeah?" Ino replied as she turned to him.

"You think I should wait out in the hall way until you are done reporting in?" he asked nervously. It wasn't often that Colby got nervous, the last time he got nervous was when he got the chance to meet the owner of the railroad company a few years ago. Ino looked at him with a smile.

"Naw you should come in with us, seeing as how you are new to the village." Ino said as Kiba knocked on the door. A woman's voice replied "ENTER" to Kiba's knock and they enter the room. Colby was the last to enter behind Ino and stood off to the side as the squad reported in.

"Lady Tsunade, our mission was a success." Ino said with a air of pride and confidence. Naruto, Kiba grinned as did Sakura like they knew there was more but decided to keep what they knew to themselves.

"Good. You have any... What's burning?" Tsunade asked as she looked around the room then she spotted Colby quietly standing in the back of the room covered in black coal dust. He knew he had been found and stepped forward. Tsunade looked him over, she wasn't overly impressed with his appearance but had a good feeling about this coal covered kid and noticed the way he was standing.

"That be me, ma'am. I was one of the crew members in the locomotive on the 12 o'clock train that arrived 10 minutes ago. I work with my father on the locomotive and our crew base is being moved to this village. I met Naruto, Ino, Sakura and Kiba on the platform after they had a race with the locomotive on the way into the village." Colby explained truthfully as he stood at military parade rest with his hand behind his back and his feet about shoulder width apart.

"I see, what's your name?" she asked.

"Colby Miles, I come from the Village of the Rails." he replied with a smile. The squad looked at him with surprise as did Tsunade.

"I've heard stories about the Miles clan from that village. They are a clan of railroaders that train to be ninja while they stop in anyone of the Hidden Villages. There are many talented ninja in that clan but not one has ever chosen to follow the life of a ninja but instead they chose to work on the railroad. I don't understand why your clan chooses to railroad over being ninja." Tsunade said. She looked hard at Colby as if she was trying to look into his mind to see what he was thinking.

"My family puts family first followed by working for the railroad, being ninja is more like a hobby to us. When family members move from crew base to crew base, in their spare time they learn the skills of the ninja then pass them on to not only their children but also to other family members. Afew lucky ones got married to ninja and that has also added to the skill set of my family. Though there is one member who chose to be a ninja over a railroader. She is my cousin but nobody has really heard from her in a few months. Suzanna Whittum is her name." explained Colby hoping to shed a little bit light on to any questions Tsunade may have so he didn't have to answer anymore than he had to. Tsunade raised an eye brow questioningly.

"Suzanna Whittum? So she is your cousin then. That explanes it." Tsunade said as she leaned back into her seat. Colby was puzzled and let it show.

"Explain what?" He asked. Ino and the rest of the squad looked at each other then back to Colby.

"Suzanna is a Leaf ninja but never told anyone what clan she came from or what her home village was, but when she heard that the railroad was going to expand the terminal here she would watch the trains go by every day, as if she was looking for someone. She doesn't go on that many missions so when she's not looking at the trains she works at one of the bars in town. I think she works at the Rail Spike Bar."

"Least she is safe and doing well. Though don't think her career choice is going to sit will with the family. We never could make a good margarita" He smiled when Tsunade grinned at the joke. "I got to get back to yard. My dad is probably wondering were I am."

"Very well, you want some help finding your..." Tsunade was cut off by Ino who spoke up.

"I'll show him back to yard Lady Tsunade" Ino said. Naruto and Kiba grinned.

"Looks like someone has a thing for the train boy" said Naruto but his grin disappeared instantly when he looked at Colby and saw him glaring a death glare at him. Colby could brush off almost any name he was called but train boy really ticked him off. He could never actually figured out why but it just did.

"I'd pick my next few words carefully if I were you" Colby said flatly. Kiba took a step back, Sakura and Ino were about ready to smack Naruto when Tsunade spoke up.

"Naruto, Kiba and Sakura. You three are dismissed. Ino you can show Colby the way back to the yard." Tsunade said. With that everyone exited the room. 'This is going to be interesting having members of the Miles clan in this village." she said to herself.

In the hallway Sakura and Ino smacked Naruto, Kiba laughed as Naruto rubbed his head and glared at Ino and Sakura.

"OOUCH! What was that for!" said Naruto as they walked down the hallway and towards the main entrance of the tower. Colby walked just ahead of them and listened.

"For insulting Colby!" said Ino, Colby's ears perked up at the mention of his name but he didn't turn around.

"So? The train boy blew steam at me from that locomotive of his" Naruto said. This time Colby turned around and got right up in Naruto's face.

"Call me that one more time I will make you bounce off this floor and hit the ceiling." He said coldly. Naruto glared back at him.

"I'd like to see you try trai..." Before Naruto could finish, Colby swepted Naruto's feet out from under neath him and slammed Naruto down to the floor while he was still airborne. As Naruto bounced off the floor Colby got one of his legs under Naruto's back and launched him straight up into the ceiling. Ino, Sakura and Kiba looked at him in shock as Naruto fell back down to the floor. He looked down at Naruto then looked at Ino, Kiba and Sakura.

"What? I leanred it from my uncle." Said Colby with a shrug. "Say, I'm hungry let's go get something to eat." Naruto slowly opened his eyes and looked up at Colby. His head was spinning and his whole body felt sore. Kiba and Sakura walked over to Naurto and helped him to his feet.

"Come on knucklehead, on your feet." said Kiba as he and Sakura helped him up. Naruto looked at Colby but didn't say anything as he started to walk out the door. '_The hell is his problem?' _thought Naruto as walked off on his own. Colby kept an eye on him and watched Naruto walk away.

"He always like that?" asked Colby as he turned back to Kiba, Sakura and Ino.

"Yeah, most of the time but not always. Usually he is just hyper. He is a good friend but can real jerk to people he doesn't like." Kiba said.

"I guess so. Then again so can I." replied Colby, he pulled out his pocket watch and checked the time. It was 12:30pm. Then his stomach growled, Ino, Sakura and Kiba laughed. Colby smiled, "Know any places to eat around here?"

"Yeah there are lots of places. Come on we'll take you to the best ramen in town." said Sakura as she lead the way and headed towards the door, the rest of them followed.

"Never had ramen before, it any good?" Colby asked as they walked down the street towards the ramen shop. Ino, Kiba and Sakura looked at his like he had three heads. "What? I never had ramen before."

"You are missing out my friend. The ramen at this shop is the best around, and why have you never had ramen before?" said Kiba.

"If I can't hold it in my mouth and fire the locomotive at the same time, I don't usually eat it." He said as they approached the ramen shop. Colby could smell it and it smelled good, he just hoped it tasted as good as it smelled. Ino laughed.

"No wonder you are so skinny! You hardly eat anything good." she said as they entered the shop. Colby smiled as he sat down on the stool at the counter.

"Actually. That's not true, I eat more than you think. Back home my family has a policy that no leftovers will go uneaten."

"Is that right? I like that policy, means no food goes to waste." the owner said. "What can I get for ya?" Ino ordered the BBQ ramen and Kiba and Sakura ordered the chicken ramen. "And for you?" he asked as Colby's turn to order came up.

"Umm.. I'll try the BBQ ramen." he said, the owner smiled.

"You are not from around here are you?" he said as he started making the ramen.

"No, I'm new to this village. My dad and I work for the railroad and our crew base got moved to here, and can I have a glass of water please? Firing the engine is like working next to a massive coal stove."

"Is that right? Well, welcome to the Leaf Village and here you go" the owner said as he placed a glass of water in front of Colby.

"Thanks" Colby said. Then a girl walked into the shop and sat down next to Kiba. Colby glanced over to the girl, she was shorter than he was but not by much. She had brown hair that came down to just past her shoulders, she wore green shorts with paw prints on the cargo pockets, and a black t-shirt with green paw prints across the chest. Something looked familiar about her but he couldn't figure it out until she started talking to Kiba.

"Hey Suzanna." Kiba said as he kissed her on the cheek. Colby's eyes nearly popped out of his head as it finally clicked in his mind. '_You gottah be kidding me. That's Suzanna?"_Colby thought. Ino noticed his surprise and smiled.

"Yeap, that is Suzanna." Ino said kinda loudly almost as if she wanted to make sure Kiba and Suzanna heard her, which they did, and they looked towards Ino and Colby. Colby pulled his hat down and cupped his glass of water with his hands. He wanted to find Suzanna on his own but this way worked, though he didn't like how Ino had to draw attention to their end of the counter. He sighed and re-adjusted his hat and looked towards Kiba and Suzanna. Suzanna looked at Colby and was shocked. It had been a while since the two of them had last seen each other. They had not talked to each other ever since they had a huge fight the night Colby caught Suzanna trying to sneak out and run away and become a ninja. He was the one who got her in trouble with her mother.. but her father let her move out on her own without her mother knowing and on the one condition that she check in with him every week.

"Hey Suzanna, long time no see." Colby said. Suzanna's expression changed from shocked to annoyed. She stood up to leave but Kiba grabbed her arm and pulled her back down to her seat. He looked at her with a scowl.

"Stay a bit and have lunch with us." Kiba said as the owner gave them their bowls of ramen. Colby tired to use the chopsticks but gave up on trying to use them and pulled out his leatherman multi-tool and used the pliers to eat the noodles, then used the knife blade to eat the chunks of BBQ meat that was left. Everyone watched him as they ate their food. Colby was the last to finish and as he put away his leatherman he looked up and saw everyone looking at him. Suzanna rolled her eyes as she watched him... he NEVER could use chopsticks.. no matter how much she had tried to teach him before she had left.

"Still can't use chopsticks, can you Colby?" Suzanna said with a grin. Colby looked at her and opened his leatherman again and showed off the pliers.

"Why do I need chopsticks when I got a good set of pliers and a knife with me?" he smiled as she rolled her eyes. Ino laughed which made Colby smile a bit more. He was starting to like Ino, but knew he couldn't let he heart take off on him. Last time he did that it didn't end well. He looked to the clock on the wall. It was 1 o'clock, Colby figured he better get going and head back to the yard. Suzanna and Kiba could sense Colby's mood change as he sighed and took out his wallet to pay for his meal.

"Don't worry about it. This one is on the house." the owner said. Colby looked up from his wallet in surprise. Back home none of the restaurants even the small mom and pop shops gave out free meals. They would lower the price for railroad workers and their family and new comers to the village but never give out free meals.

"Really?" Colby said surprised.

"Yes, really." the owner replied with a smile.

"Thank you, sir." Colby said as he put away his wallet. Ino and the rest paid for their meals and they all headed out and started walking towards the station. Ino and Colby talked together on the way, Sakura headed home. Kiba and Suzanna walked behind Colby and Ino. Suzanna was quiet and Kiba could tell something was bothering her.

"What's on your mind?" he asked. Suzanna was quiet a moment as she watched Colby and Ino start to walk a little closer to each other.

"It's Colby. He's my cousin and his dad is my uncle. I left the clan and only my dad knows that I am here. My family has been known to go after rouge family members like the hidden villages go after rouge ninja, and now I think I'll have to go on the run again because I don't want to have the life so many of the female members of my family do. I think he might tell the family because we didn't end things on a good note before I left." She said. Kiba put his arm around her and kissed her on the cheek.

"Don't worry, I think if you can patch things with Colby he won't sell you out." said Kiba reassuringly. Suzanna smiled and kissed him back.

"I hope you are right." she said as the group walked into the station. Waiting for Colby was his father and Mike. Suzanna froze when she saw Colby's father. Colby turned around and saw Suzanna just standing there. He sighed and walked up to her. She always freaked when ever she saw another family member who was not her father. Before she ran off she usually would run up to them and hug first him then his father but now it's was like she was afraid of anyone who was apart of the family.

"You don't have to freak out cous, and besides you look like a fool standing in the middle of the floor staring at my dad." he said "Come on." With that he put his arm around her and half walked half pushed her up to his dad. Ino and Kiba were already talking to him and Mike. Colby's dad smiled and hugged Suzanna, she hugged him back.

"Don't worry, your father told me what happened. You are safe from the family, for now at least. Just hope your mother doesn't find out other wise we are going to have a mess on our hands to deal with. Most of the family has given up on the search for you but your mother is relentless." he said. Suzanna hugged him again.

"Thanks Uncle Tallus!" she said. As the hug between them ended Kiba, Ino, Mike and Colby started laughing at Suzanna. She glared at them but they kept laughing. Then she looked at herself. A fine shade of black coal dust covered her face and arms. She smiled and laughed too, then Colby walked up to her and using his glove tried to wipe it off on her face but she was able to keep her face from getting touched by his glove. However in the process Colby still managed to get a streak of black to run across her forearm.

"You little brat!" Suzanna said teasingly to Colby. "So I guess this means we are cool with each other now?"

"Yeah we are.." he paused for a moment "Sis." Suzanna's face lit up as she tackled him into a hug. It had been a while since he had called her his sister. Before their fight, Colby and Suzanna were more like brother and sister than cousins and some of their family members swore they were brother and sister sometimes just on the way they acted around each other. They would do almost anything for each other and being only 3 months apart was certainly a factor in them being so close. Colby's father, Tallus, smiled. It made him happy to know that Colby and his _older sister _were once again friends with each other.

"You guys found a place to stay yet?" Suzanna asked as she let go of Colby.

"Not yet. We just finished putting the engine away and haven't had a chance to go into town, and we haven't changed yet so we are going to change first and meet back up with you guys." said Tallus.

"Why don't we had over to my place. You can change there and you can stay with me until we can find you a place." said Suzanna.

"Yeah, that's sounds good." said Tallus. Colby cheered and took his turn tackling Suzanna into a hug. Ino and Kiba laughed as did Mike. Colby still had his glove on and again tried to get Suzanna's face with is glove. This time he was successful and left a black hand print on her cheek. She tried to wipe it away but only made it worse. She glared at Colby and a evil smile came across her face that he was all too familiar with.

"Let's sparr." she said. Colby, Kiba and Ino looked at her surprised, but Tallus and Mike just laughed.

"Now?" Colby asked staring blankly at her. She nodded and her evil smile grew bigger.

"Yes, when we get over to the training grounds."

"You sure? I still got my steel toe boots on. I don't want to hurt you, that badly." he said.

"You won't be able to touch me and come on I want to see if you have gotten any better" Suzanna started to head for the door. Colby sighed and looked to his dad for any support but he did give any and pointed towards Suzanna. Ino and Kiba laughed, they knew Suzanna was a good fight and thought Colby didn't have a hope in hell at beating her. Colby and the rest followed Suzanna to the training grounds. Colby never liked sparring against Suzanna, he was 0-for something against her and figured this time would be same.

* * *

"Come on Colby, I think you can beat her" said Ino. He could tell that Ino had a HIGHLY competitive side to her as they walked to an empty train ground.

"You think so?" he asked.

"Yes I do! She maybe your older cousin and a better fighter but I think you can take her down!" she cheered. Colby laughed, he liked it when girls had a thing for competition. To him it meant less boredom when he hung out with them. Suzanna was waiting in the middle of the training ground with her arms crossed and tapping her foot.

"Come on hurry up Colby!" she shouted.

"Hold on. Let take off my overalls and jacket." Colby shouted back, Ino looked at him in surprise as he took off his boots and his jacket and overalls. He wore a black t-shirt under his denim jacket and a pair of blue jeans under his overalls. He looked at Ino and saw her staring at him. "What? You thought I was going to sparr without any pants on?" he said jokingly.

"Alright, I'm ready. Let's get this over with." Colby said as he walked up to Suzanna. Mike, Tallus, Ino and Kiba watched.

"Good, ready, go!" she shouted as she charged Colby, then disappeared and reappeared behind him. Colby turned around and knelt down and dodged Suzanna's fist, then Colby sprang forward and grabbed hold of her waist and tackled her to the ground and wrapped his legs around her's. As they fell backwards and landed on the ground, Colby got a face full of Suzanna's breasts. Ino covered her mouth and started laughing histericly. Kiba frowned, he and Suzanna had been going out for the past few months and Suzanna hadn't let him get any where's near her breasts without her whacking him on the head. Yet there was Colby, with his face in them.

"Hey sis, got you." Colby smiled as he rested his chin in the middle of her chest and managed to grab on to one of her arms and hold it behind her, but didn't get her other arm. She tried to roll him off of her but his weight held her in place.

"No you don't." she laughed as she used her free hand and went straight for his side and got him between the bottom of his ribs and the top of his hip bone. Colby shifted his weight to try and pin down her other arm. He was tickle-ish there and she knew it. He moved too far over and Suzanna was able to free her arm from his grasp and managed to push him the rest of the way off of her. He rolled once and soon found Suzanna on top of him and she leaned over him and pinned his hands to the ground. He smiled, and knew exactly how to get her off of him. Kiba looked at them as his mouth hung open, his mind raced with dirty thoughts. Ino smacked him, and glared at him.

"What?" he said and realized that both Mike and Tallus were looking at him with stern almost threatening looks.

"Be careful what you think about, and remember you have to get approval from her father, me and Colby before you can make anymore moves on her." Tallus said. Kiba looked at him confused. "Colby would kill and be killed without thinking about it if it meant keeping Suzanna safe. Sometimes it hard to tell who acts like the eldest sibling. You can date her, we don't have a problem with that. Just that is all you can do. Just date, that's it." Kiba looked back to Suzanna and Colby.

"What now lil brother?" Suzanna grinned but her grin quickly dimished when she saw him smiling "What you smiling at?"

"DOLPHIN KICK!" he shouted and all at once thrusted his hips up and Suzanna with them. Launching her up off of him and using his legs he sent Suzanna into a 180 flip over him. She did a face plant into ground and Colby got up and stepped back as he got ready for her next attack. Ino laughed as did Mike at seeing Suzanna being catapulted by Colby like she weighed nothing. Suzanna got up and faced Colby. She smiled and Colby knew that he was in deep water now.

"You and swimming moves." she laughed, Colby shrugged his shoulders.

"Hey, they work and that's all that matters. Now what was that about me now being able to touch you?" Colby teased her trying to by himself some time to think up some bull crap move that would completely catch her off guard. He knew the railroad tracks were behind him and hopped a train would come by soon as he started to form a plan. Just as Suzanna started to charge again his wish was granted as the training ground echoed with the wail of an approaching locomotive. He smiled, turned around and bolted towards the tracks. Mike and Tallus covered their faces in disbelief, Kiba laughed and Ino was shocked.

"Colby! What are you doing!" Ino shouted after him. He turned and shouted his reply back. "TRAIN!" Ino stood there in disbelief like his father and Mike. '_He is running away from a fight to go see a train?' _she thought. '_Really?' _

* * *

Colby made it to the tracks before Suzanna caught him. He slid down the embankment and hid in the bushes. Suzanna looked down from the top of the embankment and looked down the tracks and saw a figure running along side the tracks heading towards town. She chased after it and ran right past were Colby was hiding. Suzanna caught up the figure and tackled it. Colby saw his opening and race back up the embankment and walked towards Ino, Kiba, his father and Mike. He grabbed the few tools he had in his overalls and sat in the middle of the training ground and waited for Suzanna.

"I got you now!" she said as she tackled the Colby look-alike but it vanished in a puff of smoke. "Damn, shadow clone. Where are you?" She started walking back towards the embankment and when she got to the top she saw Colby sitting in the middle of the training ground. He started laughing as she sprinted towards him and pulled out her kuni knife. Colby stopped laughing when he saw the white flash of sun light reflecting off of the blade. Colby pulled out one of his wrenches and got ready. Now that he was warmed up he decided it was time to step things up.

"Railroader vs Ninja. Let's do this!" he shouted and got up and used caught the blade of Suzanna's kuni in the jaws of his wrench and ripped it from her hand, but then she kicked his legs out from under neath him and as he fell, she pulled out and another kuni. When Colby opened his eyes he saw Suzanna with her foot on his chest and he was looking at the business end of her kuni.

"Ninja wins." she smiled as she put away her kuni and took her foot off of his chest. Colby knew he was beat and sat up and looked at Ino, Kiba, Mike and his father. Kiba smiled and hugged Suzanna. Ino walked up to him and help him up but he legs were a shaky and he stumbled into Ino. She caught him and then their eyes met. Colby almost lost himself in Ino's big blue eyes and she almost lost herself in his brown eyes but both of them were quickly brought back to reality by a whistle from Kiba. Ino glared at him as she blushed and turned to and started to walk towards him but Colby stopped her.

"Watch this." He said to Ino, then he shout over to Kiba. "Hey Kiba shut up and keep you toungh in your mouth next time me and Suzanna sparr, ok? You have to go through me if you want Suzanna" Colby said. Kiba was taken back and it didn't help that Suzanna laughed at Colby's comment.

"Alright. You two, let's get moving." Colby's father spoke up and ended any chance Kiba had to try and come up with a come back. Suzanna nodded and the group headed towards her place. The Mike spoke up.

"Colby tonight is your turn to watch the engine." Mike said. Colby looked at him and sighed. He didn't mind watching the engine but it wasn't his favorite job. All he had to do was keep the fire going but he figured by now the fire was out and he would have to start a new one after supper. Suzanna looked to Ino and motioned for her to come over to her.

"Tonight we will pay a visit to Colby." Suzanna whispered to Ino. Ino smiled and nodded.

"I like that idea. I'll ask if I can sleep over at your place tonight too." Ino whispered back. Both of them giggled and Colby looked at them, but looked away. Kiba waved goodbye and headed off to his house as did Ino.

* * *

Suzanna's house was a small yellow building with blue trim. Inside was a combined living room kitchen area. The kitched had hardwood floors and a small round dinning table. The living room had one large couch that was in the shape of a L and had blue carpet. Down a short hallway was a bathroom, Suzanna's room and a guest bedroom that had two small beds.

They arrived at Suzanna's house and it didn't take Colby long to find his way to the couch and before anyone else knew it he was asleep. Suzanna took out a blanket from her room and put in over Colby. Then layed down on the other part of the couch and had her head near Colby's and she too then fell asleep. Mike and Tallus changed out of their work clothes and were sitting at the table eating the supper they had packed in their lunch boxes. They watched Colby and Suzanna sleep quietly on the couch. Mike laughed quietly to himself.

"It's just like the days when they were little kids. Sleeping together on the couch, keeping each other company and keeping away the 'boogie man' and his creatures of the night" Tallus joked. Mike laughed quietly.

"I hear you. Say what time is it?" He asked. Tallus took out his watch.

"It's 8:30." He said. "I don't think Colby or Suzanna is going to wake up anytime soon." There was a knock at the door and Mike answered it. Ino walked in.

"Oh I didn't think Suzanna would be sleeping already." she said quietly.

"That sparring match took a lot out of them." Mike said. "You going to be staying the night here too?"

"Yeah, I told my folks I was spending the night here. Me and Suzanna were planning to visit Colby when he was tending the engine tonight but I guess not." she looked at Colby and Suzanna sleeping on the couch. "I guess I might as well join them. You know there are two beds in the guest room." Ino unfolded her bedroom and layed on the floor infront of Colby and Suzanna.

"Well, we too should probably get some sleep." said Mike. "Night Ino."

"Night, Mike" Ino replied. Soon she too was asleep.

Tallus watched Colby, Suzanna and Ino sleep. The house was quiet and cool. He got up and smiled to himself as he took one last look at the three of them. "Yeap, just like when they were little kids." he said quietly.

* * *

Hope you enjoyed it, review if you want.


	2. Chapter 2

Dawn was just starting to creep over the horizon, and paint the sky with a assortment of reds, yellows and oranges. Colby was the first to wake up. Realizing he still had to get the engine ready, Colby started to get dressed in his work clothes. He still smelled like hot oil and fire but to him it was like a fine perfume. Scavenging through the kitchen for breakfast, all he found was some pasteries. As he started eating Mike walked into the kitchen.

"Hey! What are you doing?" Mike whispered loudly. Colby jumped and turned around, his eyes were wide with surprise.

"I'm eating." said Colby. HIs mind started racing like he had been caught doing something wrong.

"Haha. You look like you got caught with your hand in the cookie jar." Mike joked. Colby's mind calmed down and he continued eating his breakfast.

"Jease Mike thanks for the heart attack." Colby joked back. Mike smiled and shrugged his shouldeds.

"Hey I opportunist. Also don't worry about preping the engine this morning. Were are on leave for the month."

"What? On leave, for what?" Colby asked as he inhaled the last of his breakfast.

"Crew base change you numb nut. When ever a crew is moved to a new crew base they are granted a month of paid leave to get settled. Means we got a month paid vacation really." Mike said. Ino and Suzanna started to wake up as Tallus walked down the hallway from the guest room.

"Sweet! So can we still go see our engine?" Colby asked, as his father walked into the kitchen.

"Yes we can still see the engine. Again numb nut, we were assigned to number four. If we are on leave that engine does not leave the round house. We are responsible for that engine, we can work on it but the only rule is we can't fire her up and take her out of the round house except if we find something that needs fixing." Mike explained. Ino and Suzanna walked into the kitchen together. Colby laughed as he looked around at everyone.

"Well looks like none of us change last night." Colby said. He squinted as the early morning sun shown through the kitchen window.

Then there was a knock at the door. Suzanna answered it and it was Shizune. Ino and Suzanna were surprised that Shizune had come to their place at this hour in the morning. Shizune's face had an urgent look on it. Ino and Suzanna's moods changed instantly as she started to speak.

"Suzanna, Ino. I'm glad your up. Naruto got food poisoning last night but we don't have anyone available to fill his spot and your squad is the only one that is available for an urgent mission. So your squad will be short..." Shizune was about to finish when Colby cut her off.

"No, they wont. I'll fill in for Naruto. If that's okay with you guys." He looked to his father and he nodded in approval. Suzanna and Ino smiled. Shizune nodded.

"Good. Follow me, quickly time is running short on this one." She said. Colby, Ino and Suzanna sprinted as they followed her to Lady Tsunade's office.

* * *

Tsunade had a stern look on her face as Ino, Suzanna, Colby and Kiba walked into her office. She eyed Colby the same way she did when she first met him.

"Alright, you four are going on a time critical hostage rescue mission. This is a B ranked mission that could easily escalate into an A or even S ranked mission. You will be on your own with out any chance of back up." Tsunade pause as she got ready to finish filling them in on the details. " Your target or hostage. Is your father Suzanna, which is also your uncle, Colby. Which is why I'm glad you stepped up for this mission. We know almost everything about the situation. Except who took him and why. Your mission is to go get him. If you can find out who took him and why that would be helpful. He is being held in a small town north of here. It's going to take a day or two by foot." Colby smiled when Tsunade pointed to the town on a map.

Colby and Suzanna were shocked, but Suzanna even more so. Her father kidnapped? It couldn't be true. She wanted to break down and cry but she didher best to hold herself together. Colby could feel a fire come to life in his gut as his adraline started flowing though his gut and spread through his body. Nobody messed with his family and lived to tell about it.

"Go now, you have one hour to get ready and leave the village." Tsunade said. "Any questions?"

"I got a correction on the amount of time we got. We have more like 45 minutes to get ready. Next train arrives in 50 minutes. We can get to the town by the end of today by train. Ino and Kiba don't worry about getting breakfast at home, the train has a snack car on it. There you can eat on the train." he said. Tsunade nodded.

"The faster the better. Get to it, meet at the platform in 40 minutes. You are dismissed" The group filed out of her office and they headed home to get their gear.

* * *

Colby headed towards the round house. He had all his extra clothes and a few things that he would not leave behind on his first actual mission. He grabbed his bag from under the fireman's seat inside the cab. Then he pulled down a long object that was wrapped in a burlap blanket. Colby having no fear if anyone saw him, changed into his summer hunting clothes. His boots, pants and long sleeve shirt were tree bark camo. With detailed images of actual leaves and tree branches inprinted on his clothes. Before jumping down from the cab he grabbed a small back pack and the burlap wrapped object and his hunting boonie hat. He sprinted to the platform. Kiba, Ino and Suzanna were already there and Suzanna had his ticket. Suzanna was decked out in standard green camo and envied Colby for his hunter's camo.

"What's that you got there, Colby?" Ino asked looked at the burlap blacket he had. Colby smiled as he unwapped the burlap. Suzanna stared in shock at what he had. Kiba and Ino were just as surprised as well. In his hands was an olive drab colored gun.

"Browning M1918 .30 calibure automatic rifle." He smiled as he wrapped the Browning back up. Suzanna glared at him, being ninja meant being sneaky and quiet. Not being as loud as possible and tramping to the enemy like an elephant on a rampage. Colby never was any good at being quiet.

"Colby would you be quiet.. I know its hard for you but would you shut up once in a while?" Suzanna said but Colby wasn't listening as the wail of a train whistled echoed from down the tracks. "What the hell Colby, you always ignore me.."

"Only when a train is coming Sis." Colby said without look back to Suzanna as he watched the gleam of the locomotive's headlight crest over the horizon. Suzanna sighed. She never could get his attention when a train was anywheres close.

"Hey Colby?" Ino said, Colby didn't hesitate as he turned around and faced Ino. Suzanna was surprised and ticked off. '_Why did he turn right around for Ino but not me?"_ She thought.

"Yeah Ino?" he replied and glance over at Suzanna and saw she was ticked.

"Don't you have ninja tools? Like kuni, ninja wire, shurikin?" she asked. He laughed and shook his head.

"Nope. You see this is my first mission I've ever been on." he said. Kiba and Ino's jaws dropped. He can't be serious, a B ranked mission that could turn into an A or even S ranked mission is his first ever? He looked over to Suzanna, she was still glaring at him. "I love you sis!" he said in his little brother voice. Suzanna couldn't help but smile. He always got her with his little brother act. Colby's attention then shifted back to the approaching train as it lazily rolled into the station as eased to a stop. The group boarded the train but Colby made a quick detour to the engine.

"Hey Hans!" Colby shouted up to the cab. A dirty but clean shaven man stuck his head out of the cab.

"Hey Colby! What's with the camo?" He asked. Colby climbed up to the cab and told Hans about Suzanna's father. Hans nodded.

"I'll push it to the limit on this run, Colby" Hans said as he shook Colby's hand.

"Thanks Hans." Colby said as he climbed down from the cab and boarded the train. Suzanna, Ino and Kiba had gotten four seats the faced each other. Suzanna and Kiba sat next to each other and Colby sat down next to Ino. Colby was smiling as if he had just accomplished something.

"What is it?" Ino asked, as the train lurched forward suddenly.

"We are going to arrive at our destination ahead of schedule." Colby said, Suzanna rolled her eyes.

"Who's driving?" she asked.

"Hans"

"Oh God. Are you serious? How did you manage... never mind" she said as if finally clicked in her mind "You are going to give me away if you keep telling people."

"I did not tell Hans you were on board. I told him that me and a few members from the family were going after your father who has gone missing." Colby snapped back. Suzanna glared at him. Then leaned against Kiba and fell asleep, Kiba did the same not long after. Colby watched the land roll past his window, Ino then leaned against him. Usually he would only let Suzanna do that but there was something about Ino let liked so he didn't mind. Remembering a tune he had learned from his grandfather he started to quietly sing it to pass the time:

_March along, sing our song, with the Army of the free._  
_Count the brave, count the true, who have fought to victory._  
_We're the Army and proud of our name!_  
_We're the Army and proudly proclaim:_

_First to fight for the right,_  
_And to build the Nation's might,_  
_And The Army Goes Rolling Along._  
_Proud of all we have done,_  
_Fighting till the battle's won,_  
_And the Army Goes Rolling Along._

_Then it's hi! hi! hey!_  
_The Army's on its way._  
_Count off the cadence loud and strong;_  
_For where'er we go,_  
_You will always know_  
_That The Army Goes Rolling Along._

_Valley Forge, Custer's ranks,_  
_San Juan Hill and Patton's tanks,_  
_And the Army went rolling along._  
_Minute men, from the start,_  
_Always fighting from the heart,_  
_And the Army keeps rolling along._

_Then it's hi! hi! hey!_  
_The Army's on its way._  
_Count off the cadence loud and strong;_  
_For where'er we go,_  
_You will always know_  
_That The Army Goes Rolling Along._

_Men in rags, men who froze,_  
_Still that Army met its foes,_  
_And the Army went rolling along._  
_Faith in God, then we're right,_  
_And we'll fight with all our might,_  
_As the Army keeps rolling along._

_Then it's hi! hi! hey!_  
_The Army's on its way._  
_Count off the cadence loud and strong; _  
_For where'er we go,_  
_You will always know_  
_That THE ARMY GOES ROLLING ALONG! _  
_And THE ARMY GOES ROLLING ALONG!_

There was one more stop before their destination. Ino, Kiba and Suzanna had all fallen asleep. Colby was just about ready to fall asleep himself when the conductor, stepped into the car at the other end and started asking for tickets. Colby gently nudged Ino to wake her up. Kiba started to wake up. The there was a loud bang, and the car rumbled as the train switched tracks, Suzanna was jolted awake from this. Ino and Kiba smiled as Colby laughed at the surprised look on Suzanna's face.

"What the hell was that?" she asked with a yawn.

"Switching tracks, means we are getting closer to the station. We got one more stop after this one." He said as he picked up his pack and started to rummage through it until he found what he was looking for. He pulled out a large hunting knife with a wood handle that had the head of a wolf carved into the end of it. He handed it to Suzanna, she looked at him then to the knife. A smile broke across her face as she looked at the carving.

"I bought that for you a few months ago. It reminded me of you when I saw it and thought you would like it for a birthday present." Colby smiled as Suzanna hugged him. They didn't notice the conductor standing by their seats waiting to punch their tickets.

"Well, if it isn't Colby." the conductor said smiling. Colby looked at him and recognized him instantly.

"Hey Matt! How you been?"

"I've been good. So you traveling with these ninja?" he asked with a hint of disgust in his voice. Ino and Kiba frowned at the tone of his voice. "And how is the scearch for Suzanna going" He didn't realizing that Suzanna was right in front of him. Colby looked at Matt and stood up and offered his hand for a hand shake which Matt accepted. As they shook hands Colby embraced him.

"Yes, I'm traveling with these ninja and the girl sitting across from me is Suzanna." he said quietly as he stepped back. Matt looked at Suzanna for a moment before he recognized her. "Keep your mouth shut about Suzanna. We are on a mission from the Leaf Village."

"You gone rouge too?" Matt asked surprised. Colby shook his head.

"No, I haven't gone rouge. Remember I'm drifter of the Miles family. Switching between railroader and ninja is what I do. We are on a mission and my family is involved." Colby heard the door open at the end of the car and glanced over. His heart sank like rock in water at the person he saw walked through the car. The people he saw was an older woman in about her mid-50s with brown hair and she was about Suzanna's height. She was dressed in a blue dress that stopped just above her ankles. "Crap not her." Colby said under his breath. Kiba heard and turned around to see who Colby was looking at. Suzanna and Ino did the same.

"Suzanna get down." Colby said.

"Why? It's just a... Oh you got to be kidding me! Not her!" Suzanna said, Kiba and Ino looked at Suzanna and Colby questioningly. "It's the monster I call my mother." Suzanna spun around and sat back down in her seat but the lady had spotted her.

"SUZANNA!" the lady yelled from the other end of the car and quickly made her way to their end of the car. Her voice got the attention of everyone in the car. Kiba and Suzanna cringed at the volume of her voice.

"Matt. You got anyone on this train you could get to this car asap?" Colby said as he stepped into the isle and faced the oncoming lady. Matt nodded and took out his radio.

"Joe, you copy?"

"Yeah Matt, I copy. What is it?"

"I need you in car 220 now. I got a situation between to passengers"

"Copy that. On my way."

Suzanna stood up from her seat as her mother stopped a few seats in front of Colby. Suzanna glared at her mother and her mother returned the glared. Ino and Kiba stood up as Suzanna's mother started to speak.

"There you are! You little runt. It's time you came back with me, you father is worried sick about you!" Suzanna's mother said and she took a few steps closer. "Excuse me sir" she said as she tried to get past Colby but he wouldn't let her. "Excuse me!"

"You are not getting any closer to her" Colby said coldly. Suzanna's mother looked up at him in surprise at first but then she quickly became angry as she realized who he was, but turned her attention back to Suzanna. Kiba and Ino moved to the end of the seats and blocked Suzanna from getting to the isle in case she tried to make a move.

"Get out of my sight. I am not going back to be abused and treated like crap by you." Suzanna shouted. Everyone in the car was watching. Matt was getting ready to step in if things got out of hand. "Get out of here and leave me alone!"

"I don't think so you little bitch. You are coming with me!" Suzanna's mother tried to pushed her way towards Suzanna, but Colby pushed back. Suzanna yelled something back at her mother but Colby couldn't tell what she said as her mother started yelling back. Things erupted into a yelling match between the two of them and nobody could tell what was being said. Suzanna tired to get into the isle but Ino and Kiba held her back. Colby hoped the other crew member would show up soon as Suzanna's mother started to push him back. The people in the car were not sure what to do, until a passenger who had been sitting infront of them got up and started to help Colby push Suzanna's mom back to the other end of the car. Kiba and Ino forced Suzanna back down into her seat and it took the two of them to keep her there.

"Joe where are you? Get your butt over here now!" Matt hollered over the radio.

"I'm right behind you." Joe said. Matt turned around and stepped aside to let Joe head to the other end of the car.

Among the screaming that was going on between Suzanna and her mother. Colby finally heard something that he could make out and it instanly pissed him off something fierce. Colby slammed her up against the door and had his hand around her throat. She went quiet but Suzanna was still shouting stuff from the other end of the car. Ino took her hands off of Suzanna and sat across from her. She formed a few hand signs and used her Mind Invasion jutsu and took control over Suzanna's body.

"What was that you said about my mother?" Colby glared at her as Joe reached him.

"Alright you two break it up! Colby get to the other end of the car. I can handle things now" Joe said. The train crawled to a stop and Suzanna's mother was quickly put off from the train. Ino released and the two were back in their own bodies again. Suzanna looked around wondering what just happend. The train started to move again as Colby returned to his seat. Joe returned from throwing Suzanna's mother off the train.

* * *

Suzanna was shaking in Kiba's arms as he held her. Ino and Kiba were quiet and Colby's hands were shaking as he looked out the window. Ino cuddled up to him as the train pull out of the station. There was a quiet murmer as some of the passenger talked quietly about what they had seen. Joe and Matt had left to go to the other end of the train. Colby dozed off as did Ino but Kiba and Suzanna stayed awake.

"What was that all about? I know you and your mother don't get along but that was a bit over the top don't you think?" Kiba asked as he watched Colby and Ino sleep.

"You didn't see anything yet. If you guys had not been there this whole car would have been trashed." Her voice quivered with emotion as the train rumbled across a bridge.

"It's alright. Everything will be fine. I promise" Kiba said. The wail of the locomotive whistle filled the car as they approached their stop and begining of their mission. The wail of the locomotive awoke Ino and Colby as the train eased to at stop. Kiba and Suzanna got up and walked out of the car as Ino and Colby grabbed their gear. Colby made sure he had everything with him, last thing he wanted to do was leave something behind that they would need later. He was the last one to exit the train, Suzanna was getting impatient. She wanted to get going, god knows what has or is happening to her father right now. Kiba whistled and Akamaru came bounding down the platform towards them.

"You have him ride in the combine?" Colby asked as Akamaru sat next to Kiba.

"Yeah, it was the only place that had enough room for him." Kiba replied patting the large white head.

Colby unwrapped his BAR and put the burlap blanket into his pack and loaded the gun. Then he slung over his should. Now he was ready. Two blast from the locomotive's whistle echoed through the station, as the train started to move, the one by one the couplers made loud bangs as the slack was taken up between them. As the train cleared the station they looked arcoss the tracks to a path leading toward a forest. They knew that's were they had to go. Suzanna lead the way with Kiba and Akamaru behind her, Ino went next and Colby pulled up the rear of the column. They sprinted from tree branch to tree branch and were making good time towards their objective. Colby took a look at his watch and smiled to himself.

"_Good, it's only 1:30 in the afternoon. That train ride saved us a lot of time, now we just need to book it the rest of the way. Just hope we don't make contact with an enemy that would slow us down big time." _Colby thought. Then he saw movement to his right. As he looked he saw ninja keeping up with them, he couldn't tell if they were friendly or not, but he soon got his answer as a kuni came flying past his face.

"You guys! Contact right!" Colby shouted up to them as he stopped on a tree branch and opened up with his BAR. He killed 3 instantly and wounded another but more came. Suzanna, Kiba, Akamaru and Ino turned and engaged the opposing ninja. The air became thick with Shurikin and Kuni flying around. Kiba and Akamaru were using everything they had except their wolf moves. Ino was sticking with using tiajutsu and using mind destruction when she could. Suzanna was floating between helping out Kiba and Ino, using some sort of music jutsu that didn't hurt Kiba or Akamaru's hearing but abosolutly wrecked her target's hearing. Colby meanwhile had given up on fighting from the tree tops and had move to the ground. Where his hunting and tactical target practices skills were most effective.

Ino came down to join him, Colby saw her coming and also saw a dozen or so ninja right behind her.

"Ino hit the deck!" Colby shouted as his aimed his BAR towards Ino. She did a superman style slide up to him as he fired away. Spent shells few from the BAR and rained down onto Ino. Colby kept firing until the clip ran out. The thundering sound of the gun echoed through the forest as he reloaded. Ino got to her feet and looked behind her. There laying in pools of blood were a dozen ninja that she had been running from.

"You ok?" Colby asked as the empty clip fell to the ground with a ping.

"Yeah. I'm fine but where is...oooooofff" Ino couldn't finish as a kuni came out of nowhere and slammed into her side. She went down and started squirming and crying out in pain.

"Shit, Ino!" Colby shouted just as he slammed a fresh clip into the Browning. Seeing a small group a ninja comming Colby opened up and watched them fall like bags of potatos. Slinging the Browning on to his shoulder, Colby half carried half dragged Ino to a tree who's roots had formed like a little cave area. Colby imiedatly started to work on Ino. Working fast he took out his medical kit and got out gauze pads, dressings, a few packets of Crystalline Sulfanilamide. "Ino stay with me, you are going to be alright." He said. The Kuni was stuck in her left side just above her hip. He gently but firmly grabbed it and pulled it out. Blood started to flow from the wound. Covering it with one hand and applying pressure he tore open a packet of the crystalline sulfanilamide and spinkled the white powder onto the wound and started putting the gauze pads on.

Kiba and Akamaru then showed up behind him. Kiba stared at Ino in shock. He never though Ino would take a hit this bad. Colby glanced over his shouder.

"Kiba come over here and help me. In my medical kit there is a little tube of morphine, get it out now." Colby looked back to Ino. "Ino look at me, look at me your going to me fine." Ino still squirmed and tried to say something but neither Kiba or Colby could understand her.

Kiba grabbed a little blue tube of morphine from the kit and showed it to Colby. He nodded as if to say that was the right one. "Take the cap off and jab it into her right shoulder. Make sure you get it into the muscle." Kiba jabbed the tube into Ino's right should and within seconds Ino calmed down.

"She going to be ok?" Kiba asked. He looked at the bandages Colby had put on. They were already soaked through with blood.

"Yeah she'll be ok when I'm done." He said. "Go find Suzanna and get back here" Kiba nodded and he and Akamaru took off to go find Suzanna. When were gone Colby did a few hand signs and green chakra glowed around his hands and he went to work healing Ino.

* * *

Suzanna was doing well taking down the ninja when she saw Kiba and Akamaru heading her way. She could tell something bad had happened by the look on his face.

"Suzanna we have to fall back. Ino's been hit and Colby it working on her." Kiba said.

"Great. Let's go" Suzanna said and took out a smoke bomb and used it. When the smoke had cleared the were gone. The ninja looked around and didn't see them.

"Damn. They got away." one of them said.

"They couldn't have gone far if one of their own is injured. They are just kids and probably haven't seem a great deal of combat." a second one said.

"PFFTH. They have seen combat alright. Especially the one with the gun. He has a lot of chakra but didn't use any of it and still killed four squads by himself. I would hate to be on the receiving end of any kind of jutsu he may know" the first one said.

"Let's move. We have to find them. They are probably looking for that guy from the Miles Clan we have" a third one said.

* * *

The bushes rustled behind Colby. He glanced over his shoulder and saw Suzanna, Kiba and Akamaru walking towards him. They came into the roots cave and sat around Ino. They were surprised to see Colby using medical jutsu.

"Suzanna go into my pack and get out that camo screen that's in there and put it up to cover the openings. Last thing we need it to be seen" Colby said. Suzanna put up the camo screen and relaxed a bit. The screen was long enough and wide enough to cover all the openings to the root cave.

"When did you learn medical ninjutsu?" Suzanna asked watching Colby heal Ino's wounds.

"Just after you left. I asked Jason's wife if she could teach me because just after you left a couple of engineers and firemen got injured pretty bad when one of the locomotives in the yard blew up. The fireman had fallen asleep in the cab after building up the fire and forgot to add water to the boiler. When he woke up and found the water level was near zero he opened the injector and ran in case it blew up. The crown sheet must have been white hot cause when the water hit that hot metal it blew the locomotive to kingdom come. The cab was thrown a good 75 yard away from were it had been and there was nothing left of the boiler. Under neath there was a crater a foot deep and ten feet across.  
On the other side of the locomotive two crews were walking towards their engines they all took hits and ended up in the hospital. My dad and I were in the round house when it happened. I swear it was like a hundred paper bombs had gone off at once. We ran over and did what we could to help the crews but I wish I could have done more. All of the survived thankfully but I wish I could have done more to help" He said as images from the accident flashed into his mind. The locomotive had weighed a few hundred tons but it was nothing but scrap metal after it exploded.

"Wow. Never thought that locomotives could go balistic" Kiba said as he tried to imagin a locomotive exploding without the use of paper bombs.

"They can but it's rare when they do." Colby said. The green chakra disipated and he leaned back against a large root from the tree. Ino's eyes were closed and she breathed slowly, but she was alive. "There Ino should be good for now she won't be able to fight without reinjuring herself."

"What do we do..." Suzanna started to speak but the bushes rustled. Kiba kept Akamaru from growling but they could tell the enemy was close. Colby turned around slowly and had his hand on the Browning. Kiba and Suzanna got ready to fight.

"You two will do the fighting, but try to stay were I can see you." Colby whispered quietly. Suzanna and Kiba nodded.

"Kiba, you stay right with me." Suzanna whispered to him. Kiba nodded again. He figured that Suzanna and Colby had a mutual plan they both knew and he would just follow Suzanna's lead. "Let's go." Suzanna, Kiba and Akamaru quietly left the root cave and spread out and form a defensive premiter around the tree.

* * *

Hiding in a stand of trees a ways away were the enemy ninja they watched as Suzanna, Kiba and Akamaru leave from under the tree.

"So that's where they were hiding. The other two must be in that root cave." one of them said.

"Squad one and two attack from behind, squads three and four attack from the front. Lady Whittum wants them alive." another one said. "Ready, go."

* * *

"Suzanna, we got company." Kiba shouted as the ninja attacked him first.

"I got my own the deal with Kiba." Suzanna replied as she got attacked. Again the air became think with flying kuni and shurikin, and jutsu attacks as they missed. Colby guarded Ino as he scaned the trees infront of him for any ninja he could reach out and toutch with the Browing. He didn't have to wait long as the other squads of ninja came around from either side of the tree. Colby opened up and took them out easily but then he saw Suzanna land right in front him. Suzanna had been hit in the arm with shirukin and was about to get up when she got hit in the leg with more. Blood started to flow from her wounds as Colby scrambled out and dragged Suzanna back under the tree.

He was just about to patch up Suzanna when Kiba came running towards them. Colby could see through the screen that he had been hit too but not as bad. Kiba and Akamaru came into the root cave and sat next to Suzanna. Colby patched up Suzanna and Kiba in no time. Then he saw the enemy ninja surround them.

"My turn." Colby said but he stay behind the screen as the ninja started to speak.

"Come out, Come out. We know you are in there. Come and surrender and we won't kill you." One of them said. Colby figured that one was the leader.

"Why should we? I didn't quite catch that last part." Colby shouted back.

"Come out and surrender and we won't kill you" the leader replied.

"Surrender is not part of my training and I can't be so I guess you are out of luck." Colby came out from the root cave with his Browning locked and loaded. He was on his last clip left before he had to use any number of jutsu he had been taught. Luckly had hadn't used any of his chakra while his opponents had been using theirs. All he had to do was outlast all of them and make sure they didn't get near the root cave. Aiming the Browning at the leader of the group he had to make every round count.

Out of the corner of his eye he saw a kuni heading toward him, he turned knelt down and shot and killed the ninja who ahd thrown it. The kuni kept traveling and slammed into the head of another ninja who had been paying attention to Colby and not the flying hunk of steel.

"_Two down" _Colby thought.

He pulled the trigger and sprayed the area wildly. He killed another six ninja and wounded six more before the clip ran out. The ninja charged as Colby ditched the gun and pulled out his K-bar, it was a foot long knife with a saw tooth blade on one side and a regular knife blade on the other. As he did he made a few hands signs with the K-bar.

"Fire style. Napalm!" Colby shouted as he breathed in deep and covered the area in a sticky orange goop and manage to catch two more ninja in it. He changed his hand sign and instantly the orange goop ignited forming and ring of fire between him and the attacking ninja. That bought him sometime to pick what he would use next. The ninja tried using water style to put out the fire but the orange goop refused to go out.

"Colby watch out!" Shouted Kiba. Colby turned around and took a shot straight to the gut from on of the ninja. Colby fell to the ground but caught himself and got right back up. Both of them made hand signs but Colby finished making his first.

"Ninja art. Chakra gernade!" Colby shouted as a mixed ball of blue and green chakra formed in his hand. Kiba was shocked, it looked almost exactly like Naruto's rasengan but different color.

Colby threw the ball of blue and green charkra at the ninja. It rolled to a stop at his feet, the swirling blue and green colors caught his attention for a moment. Colby changed his hand sign and then the ball of chakra exploded in the ninja's face. Kiba and Akamaru covered their ears from the roar of the explosion. A massive dust cloud filled the area as the shock wave blew the leaves off the trees and knocked over a few of the smaller ones. To say that the ninja was no more is an understatement. Colby walked over to the crater that was left and saw that he had also taken out a few more ninja too. So least he got more bang for his gernade, but in the process the shock wave had put out the ring of fire.

He looked over and saw the group on ninja he still had to take out. As he turned to face them he felt something hit is left shoulder followed by warm liquid flowing down his back. He turned and saw three shurikin embeded into his shoulder. He tried to more his left arm but nothing happened.

"Son of bitch" he growled as he tried to reach around to take out the shurikin. He felt cold steel embed it's self into his right leg about mid-thigh. This time he felt it as his leg gave out and he fell to the ground. The ninja approached slowly as Colby pulled out a kuni from his thigh. He staggard to his feet and back up towards the root cave. His leg gave out again and he fell infront of the camo screen were Ino was laying.

"So what do you say now?" the lead of the ninja said with air of satisfaction.

"Surrender is not in my vocabulary and I'm not dead." Colby smiled cooly. He knew he had been beat but least we could say he sent fresh souls to hell.

"I can't kill you or your friends so you will be able to live a little while longer. Now speaking of your little friends I wonder if they are behind here." the leader then grabbed the camo screen and ripped it down. Akamaru jumped him from behind the screen and attacked. One of the ninja kicked Akamaru and sent him sprawling towards Colby. Akamaru got up but Colby held him back.

"No. Akamaru, you will only make things worse for us." Colby said. Akamaru growled but didn't attack again.

"Dumb mutt." sneered one of the ninja.

"Alright. What do you guys want?" Colby asked.

"You will find out." The leader ninja said as he pulled out a little white ball and threw it into the root cave. A small white cloud enveloped Colby, Ino, Suzanna, Kiba and Akamaru.

Colby's vision went dark as he and the rest of them passed out.


	3. Chapter 3

The ground was cold and hard, water was dripping down onto his back. Colby started to open his eyes then shut them. His shoulder throbbed as did his leg but other than that nothing felt out of place and everything seemed to still be attached that was suppose to be attached to him. Colby opened his eyes again as he heard the echo of foot steps walking towards him.

"Finally, he is awake." Colby heard a voice say. He didn't move as the squeaking of a metal gate echoed. "Let's bring him to Lady Whittum."

Colby heard the foot steps come close to him and he could feel the presence of two people looking down at him. Needles of pain shot through his shoulder and leg as he was lifted off the ground and half carried, half dragged out of the cell he was in. The pain fully woke him up and the voices inside his screamed at him to fight and get away but the pain from his wounds silenced those voices. The two men sat Colby down in a wood chair and tied him up to it. He still had his eyes closed when ice cold water was splashed into his face. Even though the pain from his wounds had woken him up the ice cold water made damn sure he was. He shook his head and opened his eyes. As his vision cleared he saw Suzanna's mother sitting in front of him.

"Well, well. If it isn't Colby Miles, my dear nephew." She said, her voice was thick with sarcasm. Colby's temper was lit and it flared at the sound of her voice.

"Shut the hell up." Colby growled. There was a hint of something demonic about his voice that intrigued Lady Whittum.

"What do we have here? A Jinjuriki in the family now do we?" she said standing up and walked over to Colby.

"_A Jinjuriki? What the hell is that? " _Colby thought, but his train of thought was interrupted when she spoke again.

"You don't know of the family's secret do you?" she asked somewhat seductively, which creeped Colby out big time. He never liked her but now he was creeped out.

"Which one?" Colby asked, he knew the family had a lot of secrets and he knew most of them but he knew there was a lot he didn't know.

"I'm surprised your father didn't tell you about this family secret seeing as how you and that runt Suzanna are apart of it. HAHA now that I got both of you that secret will not be passed on." She laughed. Colby was even more creeped out now, first the creep seductive voice now the creepy laugh, what's next?

"What the hell are you talking about?" Colby questioned, if he was going to die he might as well know why but the voices in his head were telling him to listen carefully to her least for now.

"You really don't know do you? Well I might as well tell you. Each generation of the Miles clan has had two Jinchuuriki. One a boy, the other a girl. Nobody knows how it got started but it's one of the secrets of the Miles clan that makes them such lazy ninja. They don't use the power of their demons at all. The demons within them are never awakened. You and Suzanna are the Jinchuuriki of this generation!" she said.

"_Demons, ninja, generations of demons in **MY** family?" _He thought. "I knew you were nuts before but this time I'm sure you are nuts. There is no way I have a demon..." Colby stopped as he heard his own voice sound demonic "Woah, Okay. Thaaat was definitely not my voice cracking" Colby glared up at her. "What the hell did you do!" he shouted.

"I did nothing. That would be your demon awakening within you" she said laughing.

"I'm gonna open up a can of demon woop ass on you the second I get out of this freaking chair!" Colby yelled.

"You won't be getting out of that chair anytime soon." Lady Whittum said as she walked over to him and pushed his chair over. Colby landed with a thud and winced in pain as his wounded leg hit the ground. Then pain was sent screaming though his shoulder as Lady Whittum dropped kicked him in his wounded shoulder. He cried out in pain as blood started soak his shirt. "Get him out of here. Throw him into the cell with the blonde hair girl"

The guards nodded and untied Colby from the chair and dragged him to Ino's cell and threw him in there. He landed face first into the rocky floor. Ino rushed over to him as the guards locked the door and walked away. Colby's shirt was wet with blood again Ino had to tear the shirt carefully so she didn't cause anymore pain to him.

"Son of a..." Colby grunted as he tried to get up but Ino kept him down as her hands glowed with green chakra.

"Don't move. I'll have your shoulder good as new in no time" Ino said. Colby glanced at her over his shoulder, she smiled at him and he swore he could see her blush a little even in the dim light. He smiled to himself, "_I think she may like me. Otherwise she probably wouldn't have smiled or blushed the way she did when I looked at her" _He thought. Ino moved so her back was to the door of the cell, Colby glanced over his shoulder again and his gaze went from her face, to her chest, to her wait, then back up to her face, before settling on to her chest. He didn't notice that Ino saw where his gaze went. She smiled to herself as she finished healing his shoulder. She leaned over to Colby making sure he got a good look and whispered in his ear.

"Your shoulder is healed." She started to lean back but then leaned forward again. "Oh and you can look but can't touch. Not yet anyways." she said seductively. She moved behind him and out of his line of sight. "_Damn... I like her. Wonder if she is single?" _He thought as he rolled over and sat up as he did his leg started to throb.

"Grr. I hate multiple injuries. Soon as you get one healed the other one gives you problems." Colby said. Ino got up and sat down next to his wounded leg. Green chakra glowed from her hands and bathed the small cell in an eerie green light. Green chakra had started to glow from his hands but Ino shook her head. Colby relaxed and his green chakra dissipated.

"You rest. I got this." Ino said.

Colby raised his good knee and rested his arm on it. A flashback crossed his mind suddenly, it was brief but the image was clear as day. He was holding the head of a wounded comrade, blood was coming from his mouth and there were shrapnel holes in his camo uniform. There were three men on either side dressed in green camo. A medic was applying a tourniquet to the leg of the wounded man, his hands covered in blood. Blood soaked what remained of the wounded man's pants was white bone stuck out from the wound. The wounded was missing his leg from just above the knee down.

Colby shook his head trying to get the image out of his mind. Ino looked up at him questioningly as he rubbed his eyes.

"You ok?" Ino asked.

"Yeah, yeah. I'm fine." Colby said. Ino looked at him with a doubtful look.

"Had a flashback did you?" Ino asked.

"Yeah." Colby said quietly. It wasn't long before images kept flashing through his mind like a slide show in far forward. "I hate flashbacks"

"What was it about?" Ino asked curiously.

"You remember when I said that this is my first mission?" Colby said as more images of past missions he had been on flashed through his mind.

"Yeah? What about it?" Ino asked confused. The slide show of past missions ended in Colby's head. His hands were shaking and he became quiet as he spoke.

"That was a lie. This isn't my first mission." He looked away from Ino like he was ashamed of what he said. Ino finished healing his leg and sat next to him.

"I figured you had more experience that what you lead us to believe when I saw you fighting those ninja we faced. A lot of the moves I saw you pull could only come from actual combat experience. So how many missions have you actually done?" Ino asked.

"3 S ranked. 10 A ranked. 20 B ranked and I'm only 18. Suzanna has way more experience than me." Colby said. Ino was surprised, she was the same age as Colby but he had a lot more experience that she did. "I've lost friends and family on more than one occasion. I try not to think about them but on rare occasions the flood gates open and I get a slide show running through my head of the moments of all those that I've seen die."

"Oh. I'm sorry Colby. If you want I could... umm get rid of those flashbacks for you" she said shyly. He looked at her surprised. "I can erase memories you don't want."

"No, I couldn't. I'm not going to take the easy way out of dealing with my demons. The flashbacks I have are all that I remember about them. I've patched up my heart too many times just to forget them like they were nothing." Colby's voice started to fill with emotions. Ino hugged him. She knew she was lucky not to have lost any of her friends on the missions she has gone on. Together they sat there quietly for a while. Colby got himself together. Then he wondered about what Lady Whittum had said about he and Suzanna being Jinchuuriki, whatever the hell that is.

"Hey Ino, what's a Jinchuuriki?"

"A Jinchuuriki is a person who possesses a Bijuu or tailed demon, but there are minor demons that are not as well know as the tailed beasts that people can have in them. So there you go." Ino said. Then a though crossed her mind. "Why? That bitch say something about you being a Jinchuuriki?"

Colby looked down and cracked his knuckles. The popping sound lightly echoed. "Yeah she did. She said me and Suzanna were the Jinchuuriki for this generation in our family. I don't believe her"

"Being a Jinchuuriki isn't a bad thing. Naruto is one." Ino said trying to lift his spirits. Colby leaned his head back and closed his eyes. Ino watched as Colby's head dropped forward and watched him slump over.

Colby knew he was in his own mind because there he wasn't back in the cave sitting next to Ino. Insted he was in a blue room with water patters on all the walls with large paintings of old locomotives. In the corner was a hand-carved wooden bear standing on it's hind legs. It was painted black with a white V shape mark painted on it's chest. There was a man sitting at a desk in the middle of the room. He was facing towards Colby and was working on a little carving. Colby cautiously walked toward the man but frozen when he looked up at him.

"Ah. You must be Colby. Finally glad I get to meet most host for the first time." the man said. Thoughts were racing through Colby's mind.

"Wait.. You are in my head? The hell?" Colby asked confused. The man just chuckled.

"I am Shinkasen and yes I am in your head. I am the demon that is sealed away inside of you." Shinkasen said. Colby looked at him. He was wearing blue overall and a blue jacket. Much like the same clothes Colby wore when he was firing the locomotive. "That girl, Ino you got sitting next to you. You like her don't you?"

"I'm not fully sure. I think I do but doesn't feel like I'm fully into it." Colby said honestly. Shinkasen laughed.

"You really like her, you just haven't realized it yet. I see and hear everything you see and hear. I am on of those my voice in your head you have been hearing, but enough talk you have company and Ino is going to need you. Go through that door and you will be back in yourself." Shinkasen said pointing to a door.

"You sure this isn't a trap or something?" Colby asked as walked towards the door.

"I am sealed inside of you. I can't get out by the snap of a finger or the opening of a door. I'm stuck here. Go! Now!"

Colby walked out the door and woke up back in the cave and saw the guards standing by the door. He sat up and saw Ino in the corner curled up into a ball. He hoped he hadn't missed anything, as he looked Ino over she looked ok but scared as hell. The guards opened the door and one of them started to walked towards Ino. Colby knew instantly what his intentions were, and that pissed him off something fierce. The other guard walked up to Colby as he stood up and tried to put the hurt onto Colby but failed epically. As Colby finished giving the guard the beat down of his life, Ino and the other guard were going at it. Being in the corner to start didn't help Ino as the guard somehow managed to get her in a head lock and started to drag her out of the cell.

"Were you think your going?" Colby said with a hint of Shinkasen's demon voice mixed in.

"I was thinking of taking this pretty little thing with me so we could have some fun together." the guard chuckled.

Colby felt for his k-bar and pulled it out. The guard raised a kuni to Ino's neck. "Now don't try anything foolish or the girl gets her pretty little throat cut wide open"

"What's that!" Shouted Colby as he pointed down the corridor. The guard turned to look in surprise. Colby let his k-bar fly like an eagle as it flipped end over end. The cracking of bone was heard as the blade found it's mark and buried it's self into the guard's skull. The guard fell like a sack of dirt. Ino fell down with him.

"Ino you alright?" asked Colby as he helped her up. He looked her over real quick and seeing she was shaken but alright he didn't wait for an answer. His combat mind had kicked in and for him it was game time. "Let's move." Colby started to head down the corridor but saw Ino hadn't budged. "Ino you coming! Let's go!" he shouted. Ino looked at him her eyes were wide with fear. Colby knew talking would waist time and Ino probably wasn't going to move on her own were a little while so he did what he had to.

"Come on!" he said. He picked her up and carried her on his back and sprinted down the corridor. Looking to see if Suzanna, Kiba, Akamaru and Suzanna's father were down that way. Running usually wasn't a problem but carrying Ino and having a freshly healed leg wasn't a lot fun but Colby forgot about that when he saw Suzanna. She was pacing her cell like a lion in a cage.

"Suzanna. You alright?" Colby asked. Suzanna's face light up with a smile when she saw him but it quickly went away when she saw Ino.

'Yeah I'm fine. How's Ino?" she asked as he set Ino down and broke open the lock.

"She's fine just shaken. Help me get her back on to my. We got to get moving." Colby said but Ino was back on her feet.

"I'm fine. I can run with you guys. Thanks Colby." Ino said. Colby and Suzanna looked at Ino questioningly but didn't waste much time before the three of the started running down the corridor again. Colby had an idea as they ran past empty cell after empty cell.

"_Shinkasen, how long you been in my head?" _Colby thought.

"_Since when you ended up in the hospital on your first A ranked mission. While you were knocked out I got sealed inside of you." _Colby heard Shinkasen's voice speak inside of his head.

"_Ok, freeloader. Mind helping us out here? Need to find Kiba and Akamaru and my uncle." _

_"They are coming up shortly they are fine but you got company coming up on your 6"_

_"Great. Who is closer?"_

_"Kiba and Akamaru are the closest, but you have to hurry or you won't have time to get your uncle and get out before you have to fight your way out."_

_" Great, and chime in anytime if we start running short on time"_

_"Will do. Now pick it up. Oh and one more thing, Suzanna is the other Jinchuuriki of your family"_

"Suzanna, Ino listen Kiba and Akamaru are just up ahead and your father is too, and we got company coming." Colby said as they heard Akamaru barking loudly.

"Already know Colby. You are not the only one with a voice inside their head." Suzanna replied. They stopped in front of Kiba's cell and had him out in no time flat. Suzanna and Kiba hugged each other immediately.

"You ok Kiba?" Suzanna asked.

"Yeah I'm fine. I guess so are the rest of you." Kiba said.

"Let's keep moving we got company moving this way and we don't have much time." Suzanna said.

The rest of the way was pitch black. Colby made a few hand signs and then his eyes started to glow green. None of them noticed until their eyes adjusted to the dark and could see a faint green light on the wall of the corridor, he was walking up against.

"Hey Colby?" Suzanna asked.

"Yeah?" Colby replied and he turned his head reveling his glowing green eyes. Ino screamed as did Suzanna in surprise. Kiba and Akamaru covered their ears. "What?"

"Your eyes! They are glowing green!" said Ino. Colby laughed.

"Oh this? It's my night vision. Been working on it for a while now. I can see in the dark and I can see everything though the only colors I can see are black and different shades of green. It comes in pretty handy sometimes." Colby explained and turned back around. They can to the last cell and looked in. Pay dirt. Inside was Suzanna's father. Suzanna took out her flashlight and shined it into the cell as Kiba broke open the lock. The two of them went in as Colby looked down the corridor and got ready for and got ready to fight.

"_Good you got him now it's time to get out." _Shinkasen's voice popped into Colby's head.

"How close are they?" Colby asked out loud. He wanted to see if Kiba could tell.

"_Very close. You have to get out now." _Shinkasen said. Kiba stuck his head out the door and sniffed.

"Too close for my liking. Let's go now" Kiba said as Suzanna helped her father up and brought him out of his cell.

"Hey Uncle Steve. You alright?" Colby said. Steve look at him and smiled.

"Well you finally have gone ninja haven't you?" Steve said with a smile. Steve always teased Colby when ever he saw him using his ninja skills.

"I've been ninja just haven't told anyone." he said, Suzanna and Kiba looked at confused. "Tell you two later. Suzanna you thinking what I'm thinking?"

"Yeah. Time to go, but which way?" she asked.

"Same way we have been going. Kiba you smell anything?"

Kiba sniffed the air again. Akamaru growled as a light appeared at the end of the corridor. Suzanna killed her light but as she did the lights in the corridor came on. Colby shut his eyes as he still had his night vision on. Colby opened his eyes once his night vision faded and saw they had a lot of work a head of them.

"_RUN" _Shinkasen yelled in his head.

"Guys let's move." Suzanna said as they started running down the corridor and away from the ninja at the other end. Kiba and Akamaru led the way as Colby brought up the rear. They starting booking in down the corridor, every so often Colby would use a few earth style moves and block the corridor behind them. Ino would pause and wait for Colby each time. Suzanna, Kiba, Akamaru and Steve wouldn't as they kept running. Each time they would get father ahead of Colby and Ino.

"_What the hell are you doing?" _Shinkasen said as Colby blocked the corridor again.

"Buying us some time" he said out loud, he didn't care if Ino heard him or not.

"_You are falling behind. Keep moving and don't bother with stalling the enemy."_

"Can't. We have my uncle now the only thing left is for Suzanna and Kiba to get him out safely." Colby said. Ino looked at him questioningly but kept running. She had lost sight of Suzanna and Kiba as the corridor opened up into a room with two corridors.

"Colby which way left or right?" Ino asked. Colby looked down them

"Shit. Umm... Left." Colby said.

"_We going the right way?" _Colby thought. Hoping Shinkasen would correct him.

"_I believe so. I can't sense Suzanna or Kiba. The rocks must have something in them." _

"I sure hope we are going the right way." Colby said. Ino looked back at him then looked in front of her.

"I see daylight up ahead" Ino said. At the end of the corridor was a white light and the two of them could feel cool air, fresh air. As the exited the tunnel they stopped to catch their breath. It was quiet, as a light breeze blew through the trees. A short ways away was a small brook.

"Suzanna! Kiba! Uncle Steve!" Colby shouted. His voice echoed through the forest, the only reply was from a pair of small birds that chirped at them as they flew by. "Shit!"

"Colby I think we made it but they didn't." Ino said quietly. Colby walked towards the brook and sat on a rock and buried his face in his hands. The water was cold and clear as Ino sat next to him.

"We have to go back and get them." he said.

"You nuts! We can't by ourselves, it wouldn't help and we run the rise of getting captured again. Let's head back to the Leaf..." Ino couldn't finish as Colby cut her off.

"No! We are not going back to the Leaf Village. Not empty handed. We will head back to the town and hold up there for a day or two. I got an idea." Colby said as he stood up. "Shinkasen which way to the town we passed through?"

"Who's Shinkasen?" Ino asked confuse. Colby looked at her with a smiled.

"My demon. Remember when I asked about what a Jinchuuriki is? Well I'm one" he said. Ino's face lit up with a smile.

"You are! COOL!" Ino said standing up.

" Yeah, I guess it is. Now come on let's move." Colby said. Together they sprinted up stream.

* * *

Ino and Colby walked into town and Colby headed straight for a weapons supply store instead of the train station. Ino was surprised he didn't go to the station. The weapons store was a small little shop but full of every kind of weapon, both ninja and non-ninja. Ino browsed around as Colby walked up to the counter and rang the bell.

"Just a moment!" came a voice from a room behind the counter.

"George home!" Colby asked. A figure appeared in the door. The figure was a elderly man with a bald head, wearing blue jeans and a black shirt.

"The George is home and is this the aspiring locomotive engineer, Colby Miles?" George asked right back with a smile.

"Indeed this is." Colby smiled. George stuck out his hand and Colby shook it.

"Well how have you been!" George said loudly. His voice startled Ino who was hold a rather long kuni knife. She dropped it and it fell to the floor with a clink. They looked at Ino, she blushed when she saw Colby smiling at her.

"Well. You a ninja from the Leaf Village I take it?" George said when he saw Ino's headband tied around her waist.

"Yes, I am." Ino replied as she put the Kuni back in it's spot and walked up to them. George looked at Colby and eyed him curiously.

"I didn't expect that you would go ninja, again. Colby" George said.

"Something has gone down and this time I volunteered for the mission." Colby replied, his smile went away as he spoke.

"Oh? What is it?" George asked "You find Suzanna?"

"I found Suzanna." Colby said, George knew Colby since he was a child and knew there was more to it.

"That's good, but there is more isn't there?"

"Yeah, Steve was taken and used as bait for Suzanna." Colby said quietly. George looked at Ino with a concerned look.

"We were sent to rescue his Uncle and Suzanna was part of our squad. We were captured and managed to escape but me and Colby got separated from the rest of our squad and somehow managed to successfully escape but Suzanna, her father, and another one of our squad mates didn't make it out as far as we know. Also all of our gear got taken off of us except for one knife" Ino explained. George nodded understanding that this could end badly.

"You think you can help us out?" Colby asked. The door to the shop opened and George smiled as he recognized who had walked in. Ino smiled to but kept quiet.

"I can help outfit you with gear but I think he can help you with getting Suzanna and Steve back." George pointed towards the door and Colby turned around. He grinned ear to ear when he saw who had walked in. There were 4 men standing by the entrance and all of them were dress in green camo.

"Dad, Jason, Mike, Denny. How did you guys find us here?" Colby asked. He walked up to them and gave a hug to each of them.

"Hans and Matt told your father. He then got word out to the whole family." Mike explained. Colby smiled but then a thought popped into his head.

"Is it just you guys or did you bring the whole family?" he asked. His father, Mike, Cousin Jason and Denny all smiled as the looked at each other.

"Come see for yourself." Tallus said, together they all walked outside and saw a formation of people marching up the street from the station. They could see more getting off at the station.

"You got everyone didn't you?" Colby chuckled. Ino hugged him, Jason and Denny whistled as Colby hugged Ino back. She wanted to glare at them but couldn't because Colby still held her in a hug.

"Hey, you already have wives. She is mine, back off" Colby said with a smile. They laughed, as did George, Tallus and Mike.

"Looks like you finally got over losing Ali." Jason said. Ino looked at him then to Colby confused.

"Who's Ali?" Ino asked.

"She was my girl friend 2 years ago. She got killed on my last mission." Colby said quietly, his mood had pulled a 180 and he became quiet as a long look came across his face. Ino had an idea on how to cheer him up.

"Hey Colby?" Ino asked. Colby looked at her and smiled a little.

"Yeah?" he asked. Ino smiled and kissed him right on the lips. Colby was surprised but smiled as he kissed her back. Denny and Jason whistled again. Ino didn't care this time when she felt Colby take one of his hands off of her. Colby flipped both of them off then put his hand right back where it was. Ino smiled as their kissed ended.

"Dinner later tonight?" Colby asked smiling.

"Just us two?" Ino asked.

"Yeap." He replied. He shot a quick, glaring over at his cousins.

"What? You think we would ruin your date?" Jason laughed.

"Knowing Denny, nope. Knowing you, probably." Colby laughed as did everyone else.

"Well Colby, why don't we head down and greet the family." His father said. He nodded and they all headed down to the station.


	4. Chapter 4

I don't own anything except my character.

* * *

The ground was cool and rocky, the air felt musky and thick. A weight pressed against her waist and arms, her wrist felt like they had a heavy bracelet on them. Foot steps echoed though the rocky corridor, the dim lights flickered every so often. She shifted her weight and heard the dull rustle of metal chains. She froze then after moment shifted her weight again. The rustle of metal chain lightly echoed off the rocky walls. Suzanna slowly opened her eyes at first then her eyes went wide as she realized where she was.

"_Suzanna. Oh Suzanna, Wake up."_ a voice echoed in side her head.

"_I'm up Rensha. What happened and why are we not out of this damn cave?" _Suzanna thought. The chains were heavy and were looped around her waist one time. There was some slack in the chains but not a whole lot. She looked around and that her father, Kiba and Akamaru were in the same cell as she was as she sat up.

"_We got separated from Ino and Colby. We took the wrong tunnel and after that I'm not sure what happened either." _Rensha replied.

Suzanna leaned her head against the rocky wall and closed her eyes. In her mind she walked into a large room with red and gold trim along the base and top of the walls. The room was paint red with images of flames coming up from the base of the wall. On one wall was an outline of a large bird in gold, rising up from the flames and spread along the other walls were music notes painted in yellow and orange. The room was empty except for a few couches facing the large bird outline. Sitting in one of the couches was a lady dressed in a red skirt that stopped just above the knees, with yellow flames running up it. She wore a tight red shirt that stopped just above her waist. She had long brown hair that was pulled back into a pony-tail.

"How did we get separated from them?" Suzanna asked "They were right behind us."

"Colby blocked the corridor behind us numerous times to by us some time. Each time we got father ahead of him. Ino stayed with him the whole time, and that is how we got separated from them. When we reach were the tunnel divide we went right when they went left." Rensha explained. Suzanna balled up her fists in anger.

"Colby and dumb ass luck. Always finding the right way out, or making his own way. Wait.. why didn't you tell me that Colby was falling behind?" Suzanna asked accusingly.

"I did tell you but you didn't listen. You were solely focused on getting out that you didn't hear me" Rensha shot back. "Anyways that doesn't matter now, all you, Kiba and your father have to do is stay alive until the cavalry comes and busts us out of here."

"So Colby and Ino are coming back for us with help?" Suzanna asked. She knew Colby would try to come back either by himself or with Ino before going for help but he does have his moments where the light bulb comes on in that simple mind of his.

"Yes they have gone for help and a lot of it." Rensha smiled "They are getting the whole family together."

Suzanna's jaw hit the floor. The whole family? She could understand if he got a couple relatives but the whole family? That might be a little bit over kill but then again she figured that if Colby could do he would over do it.

"The ENTIRE family?" Suzanna asked in disbelief.

"Yes, the ENTIRE family is coming to save ours asses." Rensha smiled. Suzanna laughed with a smile. She knew the family would find her, just she didn't expect that they would be coming to help her.

"Alright, so what about Ino?" Suzanna asked. She and Ino were best friends and had become like sisters.

"Ino is fine and she is with Colby. She will be alright, you know Colby likes her don't you?" Rensha said with a smirk on her face.

"I figured he liked her, and I knows she likes him. So I would bet they are probably together right now. That' good he's found another girl after Ali was killed on that last mission he went on." She said as the memory of that mission came to her mind. Rensha nodded in agreement.

"Alright enough chatting to have company." Rensha said. Suzanna turned around and walked through the door.

Akamaru was growling as Suzanna opened her eyes. She looked at her father then to Kiba and Akamaru. Kiba and her father were chained up like she was and Akamaru had a metal collar around his neck. She looked at the door to the cell they were in. It was solid wood door with metal bracing on it. To either side of it was solid rock. The cell had no windows, and only a single tiny light bulb in the middle of the ceiling. The door opened and squeaked loudly. Suzanna's heart sank as a fire ignighted in her gut when she saw who walked in.

"Ah, finally you are awake. Now this time you don't have your cousin to step in and help you out." Lady Whittum walked into the cell with an evil smile don her face. Two ninja also walked into the cell behind her and stood on either side of her.

"What the hell do you want?" Kiba growled as he tried to loosen the chains. Lady Whittum motioned to him and one of the guards walked over to Kiba and kicked him right in the gut. Kiba slammed up against the rocky wall with a thud.

"Kiba!" Suzanna shouted. Suzanna tried to stand up but the chains were short and she was jerked back down to the floor. Still she tried to stand up again this time she strained against the chains as if she was trying to rip them out of the wall. She turned to her _mother_ and death glared at her. "Don't you dare touch Kibe or I'l..."

"Or you will do what? You runt, look at yourself. You can do crap and there is no chance of you being rescued, because Colby and that other chick you were with are dead. They died trying to fight their way out." She said laughing. Suzanna's heart sank even more and the fire in her gut flared out, as the other guard walked up to and punched her in the gut. The blow knocked the wind out of her and sent her stumbling backwards into the wall before she sank back down onto her butt.

"_She is lying Suzanna. Colby and Ino are still alive! Don't listen to her." _Rensha's voice rang through Suzanna's head as she gasped trying to catch her breath.

"Now as for you." Lady Whittum said glaring at Steve, Suzanna's father. "You and that group of misfits you call a family are going to pay for what you did."

"For what we did? Woman you are nuts. You caused all that trouble for yourself. You went around trying to start crap between me and my family, while trying to get those closest to you to bend to your will. It didn't help that you treated Suzanna like shit her whole life." Steve shouted. Suzanna and Kiba looked over at Steve. Suzanna had seen her father mad before but not like this. This was beyond what she had seen when her father and her mother had fought before she ran off. Lady Whittum just laughed at him.

"Every night it seemed like you were taking Suzanna with you and staying over at your brother's house while you left me alone." She fired back.

"Gee I wounder why? Could how you always wanted to fight over the smallest thing, how you constantly treated Suzanna like she was nothing, or was it because you liked to float from man to man on the nights you supposedly stayed over at your sister's house." Steve countered. Suzanna smiled to herself but Lady Whittum saw her smirk.

"What are you smiling at, you no good runt!" She shouted as she back handed Suzanna across the face. Kiba sat back and watched trying find an opening where he could get in on the action, and he saw it when Suzanna got back handed.

"HEY BITCH! You keep your hands off of Suzanna!" Kiba shouted. "You won't stand a chance against any of us once we bust out of here!"

"Shut up, mut. This doesn't concern you." Lady Whittum said and the guard kicked Kiba in the gut again. This time Akamaru started barking and snarling like he was hyped up on one to many energy drinks or food pills. "Shut that mut up as well!"The guard nodded and went to kick Akamaru but ended up with his shin inside Akamaru's mouth. The jaws of the dog clamped down on the guards leg, the sickening sound of bones being crushed echoed around the cell. The guard yelled in pain and started beating Akamaru's large head with his fist. Akamaru didn't let go until Kiba yelled at him to let go as the guard pulled out a kuni knife. The guard limped away from Akamaru with his shin bent at an angle. Lady Whittum glanced at her watch as the guard limped out of the cell.

"I'll deal with you tomorrow. I need to get some rest before I finish you off tomorrow." She said and briskly left the cell with the other guard in tow. The door squeaked as it slammed shut. The locked latched and Suzanna, Kiba and Steve listened as the foot step faded away. Suzanna leaned against the wall as tears silently rolled down her cheek.

"Suz. Don't worry, Colby isn't dead and neither is the girl he is with. They will come back and with any luck they will have some extra help with them." Her father said trying to comfort her.

"I hope you are right. I don't want to die by her hand." Suzanna said as her voice quivered.

* * *

It was 10:30 at night and the moon was just starting to rise up. Ino was sitting on the platform alone as she waited for Colby to finish helping with the planning for tomorrow's attack on the underground cave system, Kiba, Suzanna and Steve were being held in. She had been helping with the planning but she quickly realized that this wasn't her thing to plan and decieded that it would be better if she let Colby and his family handle the planning. Ino leaned back in the bench and put her hands behind her head as she reflected what had gone on during the day: She waking up the cell and watching as Kiba, Suzanna, then her and finally Colby get dragged of to be interigated. Colby being thrown into her cell, and she taking care of him. Then Colby saving her ass from the guards which resulted in all the excitment of them breaking out. Just as she started to go over how she and Colby managed to get out but not the rest of them she heard foot steps coming towards her.

"Colby?" she asked as she sat up and looked down the platform. It was well lit and she could see who was coming but it wasn't Colby.

"No, but close." A voice replied, it was Jason. "Mind if I sit down?" he asked.

"No, not at all." Ino replied as she scooted over a little bit and Jason sat down and leaned back with his arms crossed.

"Moon sure is bright tonight aint it?" Jason said as he looked up at the moon. Ino did the same, but looked down the tracks when the sound of a horn echoed through the night. "It's one of them new diesel electrics the railroad is trying out. Suppose to be cheeper to run than the steam engines. I like em' they are a lot cleaner than the steam engines to work in but I hate that cheep noise maker they call a horn they have on them." Jason said. Ino looked back up at the moon and said nothing. She had a dreamy look in her eye as she leaned back and stared at the moon.

"You thinking about Colby are you?" Jason asked. Ino looked at him and smiled a little.

"Yeah. I've only know him a few days but... " Ino trailed off and didn't finish her scentence.

"But, you really like him already." Jason said taking a guess at what the rest of Ino's scentence might have been. Ino smiled and blushed a little, Jason smiled to knowing he had guessed right.

"Yeah, I do. I had the best night with him before he had to into that meeting." Ino said. A light appeared down the tracks as the horn echoed again through the night. "So what do you know about him?" she asked shyly.

Jason chuckled "Well what do you want to know? I can probably tell you a lot about him and guess at the rest."

"Well, did he ever have a girl friend?" Ino asked. Jason looked at her with a sad look on his face as the horn echoed again with the ringing of a bell in the background. The light from the locomotive's headlight gleamed off the tops of the rails.

"He did. For some 3 years. I've never seen him any happier than he was during those three years he had Ali. Everyone in one our family and her family swore that he would propose to her any day, but then they both were put on an A ranked mission. It was the first A ranked for both of them. We were in a rather large squad, there was 7 in our squad. Colby, Ali, myself, two from our family and two from her family. Our mission was to escort and protect a high ranking public official from our village to the Leaf Village. At the time there was only freight service beyond our village."

"I though that your family didn't like being ninja?" Ino asked.

Jason smiled. "My family in not the normal ninja family. We prefer to work on the railroad and earn our living than by assassinating people, escorting stuck up rich people, or any of that other ninja stuff. Just because you have the skill set of a ninja doesn't mean you have to use those skills to earn a living. We we like the Anbu of our village, but we mainly assist the Anbu that are around our village. Least that's what I do when I'm not work on the railroad. It's kinda hard to explain exactly why we don't just go and become full ninja. Yes the pay is better but with our family being so close together it doesn't seem worth possibly losing your life or losing a family member"

"Oh, so like being ninja is like a second job you do but don't really want to?" Ino asked trying to understand what Jason had said.

"Yeah, it' something like that I guess you could say." Jason said. The horn of the engine blared again as the diesel engine slowly rolled past Ino and Jason. The engine had a smooth slanted nose and had a streamlined body with only the short exhaust vents and the horn sticking out of the roof. The trucks had 3 axles on them and were painted sliver, the body had no paint on it except for two stripes of green and yellow running down either side. The unpainted areas were stainless steel that glistened in the moon light.

"So what happened to Ali?" Ino asked.

Jason watched the engine roll by as he answered, "She died during the mission. We were ambushed, Colby was holding her in his arms as she past. Technically the mission was a success but to us it was a complete disaster. Colby was crushed like a rock under a locomotive. He wouldn't talk, leave his room only to eat and use the bathroom."

"Wow." Ino said sadly, she couldn't think of what to say next.

"You know, when you and Colby kiss earlier that was the first time I've seen a genuine smile come out of him. I think you could help Colby out a lot if you two really get together." Jason said smiling. The rail cars made their signature click clack sound as they rolled past them.

"You really think so Jay?" A voice said.

Jason and Ino looked over to see Colby leaning up against the light pole looking up at the moon. Ino jumped up and ran over to him and tackled him into a hug which he returned.

"Yeah, I really do." Jason chuckled as Ino and Colby kissed each other quickly. The bright yellow caboose rolled by and it's two tail lamps glowed red. It rolled into the night as the red lamps glowed like eyes in the dark.

"Thanks Jay. Say it's getting late and we have a big assault planned for tomorrow, we should hit the hay for tonight." Said Colby. Jason nodded as he stood up. Together the 3 of them walked to one of the few hotels in town. There was only one room available and Jason already had his reserved and had already reserved the last available room for Colby and Ino. Jason walked showed the to their room. It was small but good enough for one night.

"Well, looks like we will be sharing." Colby chuckled when he saw the room only had one bed in it. On the bed was a large duffle bag.

"BRRR.. It's cold in here, I hope you would share, it's freezing in here." Ino complained. Jason and Colby laughed.

"Well good night love birds, and Colby your combat gear is on the bed and there is an extra set in there too." Jason said with a smile.

"Thanks Jason. Good night." Colby replied as he shut the door. "It aint cold in here. It's nice." he laughed.

"That's what you think. To me it's a friggen freezer in here." Ino said with a light glare at him, but Colby just laughed as he took off his shirt. Ino's eyes widened with shock and amazment. Colby was lean and mean muscle wise, with just enough to look buff but he wasn't jacked with 6 pack abs. What really caught Ino's attention were the scars all over his back and chest. One ran from his collar bone, across the top of his shoulder and down the back of his tricept.

"You going to sleep in your clothes tonight?" Colby asked casually not paying any mind to Ino staring at him. She didn't say anything but just kept on staring. "Ino? What you staring at?" he asked as he took off his paints. Underneath he wore a black pair of loose shorts. Ino shook her head.

"Where you get all those scars?" she asked as she sat down on the bed after he got into it. He scooted over against the wall and rolled onto his side facing her.

"Combat." He yawned "Come on it's late." Colby rolled onto his back and closed his eyes. Ino sighed and took off her clothes and got into bed next to him wearing her purple undies. She kissed him and cuddled up to him. He smiled and put his arm around her, together they fell asleep.


	5. Chapter 5

I don't own anything. Wish I did but I don't.

* * *

The sun was just starting to peak over the horizon. The sky was set a fire like this inside of a locomotive's firebox with reds, orange, yellow, even a little bit of pink and purple outlining the few early morning clouds. The echo of an early morning passenger train rang through the village.

Colby was up out of bed but just starting to actually wake up and changing his underwear when Ino rolled over and opened her eyes just in time to see half of his ass as he finished pulling up a fresh pair of underwear. Ino shut her eyes and rolled over in surprise towards the wall and slammed into it with a thud. Colby looked behind him to see Ino with both of her hands covering her face.

"Jease Ino, you always smack into the wall in the morning?" he said jokingly. Ino took her hands off her face and glared at him.

"Wasn't expecting the first thing I would see this morning would be your ass. Did not need to see that." Ino grumbled.

Colby smiled. "What you don't like seeing the crack of dawn first thing in the morning?" Ino glared at him again, as he laughed. Ino got up and started to put her purple clothes back on. Colby watched as he shook his head.

"What? You don't like purple?" Ino asked with a smirk.

"Normally I don't care but today purple might get you killed. There's an extra set of camo and armor in the duffle bag for you." he said flatly as he put on a green camo t-shirt and started to put on a pair of green camo paints. When he finished he put on the boots he wore the day before.

"Armor? Why we need that?" Ino asked. She was quickly finding out that this was going to be a new kind of combat she would be experiencing.

"Trust you are going to want the armor. It's strips of high strength, light weight, steel pates that are hinged together, no shurikin, kuni, or any other weapon thrown by an opponet can penertrate it. It will dent but so far nothing can perice it. Also make sure you put on the rest of it." Colby said as he put on the steel armor. It had padding on the inside and was covered in cloth that had a green camo pattern on it The armor covered his front and back, sides, and shoulders, and extended to his belt line. Ino started puting on the camo clothing that was left in the bag. It fit her pretty well though the t-shirt was a little tight but not too tight. The she spotted a pair of boots at the bottom of the bag. She took them out and looked over at Colby. He was putting on shin guards that went from the top of his boot to his knee. He looked up to see Ino looking at him, holding her pair of boots.

"What? They don't fit?" he asked.

"They are my sized but really? You guys are more like walking forts than soldiers or ninja." Ino said. Colby smiled and laughed as he finished puting on his shin guards and sat on the bed as she sat down next to him and put the boots on.

"Exactly, because we want to make sure we have a fighting chance to make it back alive on S and A ranked missions. We train with this armor on in our spare time so it doesn't slow us down. It works a hell of a lot better than that fish netting crap." Colby got up and grabbed a camo hat from the bag and loosely plopped it onto Ino's head. She took it off, turned it around backwards and threaded her single long bang through the hole in the back before putting it on. Colby laughed as he stuck out his hand, Ino took it and Colby pulled her up and wrapped her in a hug. There was a knock at the door as they kissed. Colby went over and opened it.

"Hey cous! Long time no see!" Ino heard a girls voice say.

"Like-wise. Come in." Colby said. A girl about Ino's height walked in. She had long brown hair that was pulled back into a pony-tail like Ino. She was the same age as Colby.

"Ino this is my cousin Jasmine. Jasmine this is Ino." Colby said introducing the two. Ino and Jasmine shook hands.

"You can call me Jazz for short. So you are the girl Jason and Denny were talking about last night." Jazz said with a smile as she glanced at Colby. Ino and Colby looked at her questioningly. "Jason and Denny were talking about how you had a new girl friend, Colby."

"Gaww, they would say that." Colby said as he covered his face with his hand trying to keep Ino from seeing him blush. Ino smiled and hugged him. He half heartedly hugged her back but as he looked to her Ino planted a kissed right on his lips. Jazz started laughing as Colby gave into the kiss and blushed.

"Haha, yeap you got yourself a new girl friend cous. Oh and you are going to need this." Jazz laughed. She handed Colby an M60 machine gun and a couple ammo belts. Then the sound of little kids screaming could be heard from down the hall. The three of them rushed out of the room to find out what was going on. Four little kids, two boys and two girls came sprinting down the hall way and hid behind Colby, Jazz and Ino.

"Colby! Jazz! Hide us, Denny is trying to get us." The four of them giggled. Ino and Jazz laughed as Denny came from around the corner acting like Godzilla.

"OH gease is Denzilla! Run!" Colby shouted, playing along as he scooped up all four kids and started to jog down the hallway. Ino and Jazz laughed even harder as Denny started laughing while trying to act like Godzilla. Jazz then playfully pushed Denny against the wall as Ino faked punched him in the gut. Denny started to slide down to the floor making exaurated dying noises inbetween laughing fits.

"I think Jazz defeated Denzilla. You guys wanna go make sure?" Colby asked.

"YES! YES!" They shouted. Colby put them down and they sprint to Denny. Ino and Jazz laughed as the kids started shaking Denny. "YAY! Denzilla is dead! Thanks Jazz you did it!"

"Morgan, Taylor, Zeek, Joe. Come over here" Colby said as he walked up to them and knelt down on a knee. The kids were all 8 years old, Morgan looked like a mini-Ino only with brown eyes insted of blue. Taylor was Jazz's younger sister and looked alomst like a spitting image of her. Zeek and Joe were twins that some of the family swore they look like Colby when he was younger. They were Jason's kids. "What you little tikes been up too? Why are you here?" he asked.

"I told them we are on a working vacation." Denny said as he sat up. Morgan, Taylor, Zeek and Joe yelled thinking Denny was still Denzilla. Colby wrapped all of them in a hug with his long arms. They stopped screaming as they got squished together.

"SHHH. Quiet down, Denzilla is gone. It's cousin Denny." Colby said as he let them go. "Nice, but why did you bring them in the first place?"

"We got the whole family here so there is nobody back home to watch all the little kids, so we are having Jazz and a few others watch them while we go off and rescue Steve and Suzanna." Denny said. Morgan truned around and looked at Denny then to Colby.

"You mean Suzanna, my big sister!" Morgan said. Colby smiled as did Jazz and Denny.

"Yeap. That's right Morgan, I'm going to rescue Suzanna, and you see her?" Colby said pointing to Ino. "She is going to help get Suzanna too." Morgan looked at Ino in wonderment as Ino knelt down to Morgan's level. Then Jason walked around the corner.

"Denny, Colby and Colby's girl friend time to roll. Oh hey Jazz." Jason said then he walked back around the corner. Morgan, Taylor, Zeek and Joe started giggling.

"What you giggling at?" Colby asked. Ino moved next to him.

"Colby's got a girl friend! Morgan and Taylor shouted. Jazz laughed as she scooped up her sister.

"Yes he does and she is right next to him too." Jazz said smiling.

"OOOHH! GIRL COOTIES!" Zeek and Joe shouted as Ino kissed Colby on the cheek. All of them laughed.

"Alright you two are next" said Ino as she stood up and started to walked towards them. Zeek and Joe yelled as they bolted down the hallway in scearch of a place to hide. "Aww." said Ino smiling at Colby. Taylor and Morgan giggled as Colby hugged Ino from behind.

"Put the armor on. I don't want to lose you. What happened last time was too close for cumfort for me. I love you Ino, and I want to make sure you are safe." He whispered into her ear. Jazz smiled as she listened to what he said. Like Suzanna, Jazz also had above average hearing abilities. Ino went back to their room and put on the armor. Colby went to help her, as Jazz stood in the doorway and put down Taylor.

"What did you do to your shoulder?" Jazz asked. Colby looked at her surprised.

"How did you know?" Colby asked as Ino finished putting the armor on.

"Your charka flow has increased to that shoulder." Jazz said. Colby grabbed the M60 and they walked out of the room and down the main lobby of the hotel. Jason was waiting for them.

"Alright Jazz wish us luck." Jason said as he turned and walked out the door. Ino followed Jason, Colby was just about to walk out when Morgan spoke up.

"Colby?" Morgan asked. He stopped and truned around.

"Yes, Morgan?" he said.

"Please bring back my big sister." Morgan said.

Colby smile and nodded. "Don't worry I will. Promise."

"You love Ino don't you?" Jazz asked.

"Ahya" Colby said with a nod and he walked out the door. Outside there was a line of Humvees waiting, he hopped into the one with Ino and Jason. The sun was bright as he put on a pair of sunglasses that was similar to what professional baseball players use that had a single lens that streatched across. Colby had a camo hat like the one to Ino on and he turned it sideways and bobbed his head like he was groving to a beat. Ino laughed and Jason rolled his eyes.

"Quit trying to impress the girl. You already got her, you don't need to impress her anymore." Jason said. Ino laughed.

"Not yet, he doesn't" Ino said. Jason laughed.

"This is Trigger Happy, radio check." Colby said into the radio mic. The code names of the Humvees started to call in over the radio

_"Rino, radio check"_

_"Blue 1, radio check"_

_"Red 1 radio check"_

_"Shark, radio check"_

_"Loco, radio check"_

_"Bandit, radio check"_

_"Snowman, radio check"_

_"Smokey Bear, radio check"_

"Alright everyone, hammah down, stay sharp and let's roll." Colby called over the radio. Jason pealed out and kicked up a cloud of dust.

"Jason, ya think we should blast a little bit of Jerry Reed for this one?" Colby said.

Jason shurrged "Long as it aint that damn rap crap. I'm fine with it"

"Ok." Colby said. "Ino, you ever listened to Country Music before?"

"I really don't like Country all that much." Ino said.

"Well, you are going to have to learn to like if you are going to be his girl friend" Jason said. Colby popped in a cd and cranked up the volume. Jerry Reed started playing "East Bound and Down"

_East bound and down, loaded up and truckin'_  
_a'we gonna do what they say can't be done_  
_We've got a long why to go and a short time to get there_  
_I'm east bound just watch ol'Bandit run_

_Keep your foot hard on the peddle...son, never mind them brakes_  
_let it all hang out cause we've got a run to make_  
_The boys are thirsty in Atlanta,and there's beer in Texarcana_  
_and we'll bring it back no matter what it takes_

_East bound and down, loaded up and truckin'_  
_a'we gonna do what they say can't be done_  
_We've got a long way to go and a short time to get there_  
_I'm east bound just watch ol'Bandit run _

_Old Smokey's got them ears on, he's hot on your trail_  
_and he ain't gonna rest 'till you're in jail_  
_So you gotta dodge him... you gotta duck him_  
_You've gotta keep that diesel truckin..._  
_just put that hammer down and give it hell_

_East bound and down, loaded up and truckin'_  
_a'we gonna do what they say can't be done_  
_We've got a long way to go and a short time to get there_  
_I'm east bound just watch ol'Bandit run_

* * *

Suzanna, Kiba, Akmaru and Steve's situation had not changed much from the previous day. They were still chained up, in a cold, dank, hole in the ground. Suzanna and Kiba were listening for any sound that could even remotely sound like gun fire, but what they heard surprised them.

"Suzanna, you hearing what I'm hearing?" Kiba said confused.

"What you hearing?" Suzanna asked.

"Music, and it's that god awful country music too" Kiba said. Suzanna and Steve death glared at Kiba.

"Shut up I want to listen." Suzanna said. As she listened it was Johnny Cash playing she couldn't make out the words but the tune was deffinately a Johnny Cash tune. "Hey dad, does our family use music as like a signaling tool?"

"Yeap, and you are hearing one of the songs we use. You heard Johnny Cash right?" Steve asked smiling.

"Yeah, wait now it's stopped. I'm hearing... Air raid sirens? Oh, never mind. Indestructable; Disturbed. Why they playing that?"

"Because the assault it just begining. They are letting us know they are coming." Steve said then the cave shook and dust and small rocks fell from the ceiling. "See.. Mortar rounds."

* * *

LET EM' HAVE IT!" shouted Colby over the radio as Jason put the gas pedal to the floor and charged ahead towards the entrance to the cave. "Shark, Red 1 on me and get read to head in. Blue 1 I need covering fire." Rock music was blaring from speakers that had been set up in the trees earlier that morning. The music motivated everyone except the ninja trying to defend the bunker compound. They couldn't hear the roar of the Humvee's engines or tell where the attack was really comming from. Jason made the Humvee drift and pull a 180, threw it into reverse and drove it backwards into the opening and into the under ground bunker. Mike, Denny and Tallus went in after them on foot.

The sound of .50 cal machine guns and Mini guns spewing lead kept the enemy ninja in their hiding spots, with thier heads down... or at least until the rounds started to fly through their cover and hit them. In mere minutes the ground above the bunker were secure and the music was turned off.

"Rescue team this is Jerris. Everything is secure up here, becareful and go get em'' Jerris said. Jerris was a tank of a man. Standing 6'-3" at 225 pounds. He was usually the leader of any rescue operations the Miles family did.

"_Jerris this is Rescue Team. We copy" _Colby replied over the radio.

* * *

"The music stopped playing" Kiba said. "Finally, now what happens next?"

"We wait. When the music stops it means the rescue party is in and everything topside is secure." Steve said. Suzanna signed with relief, now she just hopped that the rescue party gets them out of there fast.

"_Suzanna. They are coming. Colby, Jason, Ino, Mike, Denny and Colby's father. Ha-ha looks like we will be riding out of here Humvee style."_ Rensha chuckled.

"_Nice! How are things looking topside?" _Suzanna thought. It was been quiet and all Suzanna could here was the roar of the Humvees motor as it echoed through the caves.

"_Wow. They make quick work don't they? Everything is secure up top." _Rensha said surprised.

"Hey, I hear em coming!" Kiba said. Suzanna and Steve smiled, things were going to get interesting.

The roar of the Humvee got louder and louder soon it stopped and foot stepswere heard running towards them.

"COLBY, INO!" Suzanna shouted. Voices could be heard coming from the corridor but then the cracks of gun shots echoed through the cave.

"Suzanna, Kiba, Steve!" Colby's voice echoed down the corridor soon his head appeared in little window of their cell. Ino, Jason, Mike, Denny and Tallus soon joined him. "You guys ok?"

"Yeah we are fine." Steve said. Jason tried to bust down the door but it wouldn't budge.

"Tallus, fire up that chainsaw." Jason said. Kiba's mouth dropped open. A chainsaw? What kind of ninja uses a chainsaw to rescue somebody? Tallus fired up the chainsaw and it roared to life. He stuck the chain end through the window and started cuting through the wood door. The chainsaw went through it like a hot knife through butter. In under a minute the door fell open and the group walked in, Denny took a pair of rather large bolt cutters off of his back and cut the chains as if they were string.

"Can you guys stand up?" Ino asked. Suzanna, Steve and Kiba nodded. Jason helpped Steve up, Ino helpped Suzanna up and Denny helpped Kiba up. Their legs were stiff and sore but they worked and that was all that mattered.

"_Rescue team this is Jerris. Hurry up and get out now! We got charlies inbound." _

_"_Jerris this is Rescue team were have the objective and are coming out." Colby replied. "Guys time to move"

"Colby, don't try delaying the enemy this time." Suzanna said glaring at him.

"I won't. I got the M60 this time. Now go, we also got our gear back it's in the Humvee." Colby said as all of them filed out through the hole in the door and headed towards the waiting Humvee. The piled inside, it was a tight fit but they all managed to get it. Jason fired up the engine and peeled out leaving two streaks of black on the ground and a cloud of blue smoke as he floored the gas peddal, and even ran over a couple of ninja.

"Speed bumb!" Jason called out each time he hit one. The Humvee would bounce a little bit each time. In no time flat they could see daylight. Colby was on the radio calling out that they were coming out, Jason was pushing the Humvee to it's limit and everyone else was hanging on to deal life as they shot out of the tunnel like the bullet out of a gun. They were flanked on either side by the other Humvees as they booked it back to the tree line.. .50 Cals and Mini guns were blazing through out the entire mad dash to the tree line as the music started to blast again this time Travis Tritt: T-R-O-U-B-L-E

_Well, I play an old guitar from a nine till a half past one_  
_I'm just tryin' to make a livin' watchin' everybody else havin' fun_  
_Well, I don't miss much if it happens on a dance hall floor_  
_Mercy, look what just walked through that door_

_Well, hello T-R-O-U-B-L-E_  
_Tell me what in the world_  
_You doin' A-L-O-N-E_  
_Yeah, say hey, good L double O-K-I-N-G_  
_Well, I smell T-R-O-U-B-L-E..._  
_Yeah_

_I was a little, bitty baby when my papa hit the skids_  
_Mama had a time tryin' to raise nine kids_  
_She told me not to stare cause it was impolite_  
_She did the best she could to try to raise me right_  
_Cause mama never told me 'bout nothin' like Y-O-U_  
_Bet your mama musta been another good lookin' honey, too_

_Yeah_  
_Hey, good L double O-K-I-N-G_  
_Well, I smell T-R-O-U-B-L-E..._

_Yeah_  
_Yeah_

_Well, you're a sweet talkin', sexy walkin', honky tonkin' baby_  
_The men are gonna love ya and the woman gonna hate ya_  
_Remindin' them of everythin' they're never gonna be_  
_May be the beginning of a world war three_  
_Cause the world ain't ready for nothing like Y-O-U_  
_I bet your mama musta been another good lookin' mama, too_

_Hey, say hey, good L double O-K-I-N-G_  
_Well, I smell T-R-O-U-B-L-E..._

_I said hey_  
_I said hey_  
_I said hey_  
_I said hey_  
_I said hey (Hey)_

_Oh, I smell T-R-O-U-B-L-E..._  
_Yeah_

"Really you guys? We are retreating to Travis Tritt?" Suzanna shouted in wonderment.

"Hell yeah! Why not?" Denny laughed. "We don't run with out tails tucked between our legs, we run with our tail up so the enemy sees nothing but our ass when we run." Suzanna rolled her eyes, when Ino nudged her and pointed to the top of the bunker. Suzanna's eyes narrowed as she saw her 'mother' standing on top of the bunker watching them disappear into the forest.

"Colby, did you tell Suzanna about her sister yet?" Jason asked.

"Nope, between seeing her for the first time in months, the mission, being captured, escaping and the rescuing didn't cross my mind to tell her that she has an 8 year old sister that she thought was an orphan my dad and I adopted. So no I haven't told her" Colby said. "Hey Suzanna"

"Yeah?"

"You remember Morgan right?" he asked as he turned around in his seat.

"Yeah! How's she doing?" Suzanna said excitedly.

"She fine, and umm... well she's your sister. Half sister techincally but she's your sister." Colby said as Suzanna's mouth dropped open as she looked to her father. He nodded confirming what Colby said was true.

"I had an affair 8 years ago with another woman cause your mother was getting out of hand. Morgan was the result of that affair, everyone in the family knew except you and your mother. You even met her a few times, but when Morgan was born she lived with Colby and Tallus because I didn't want her to stay with us, and she couldn't stay with Nichole either. That's why you were told that Morgan was an orphan that Tallus adopted." Steve explained. Ino looked at everyone confused.

"Why did you have an affair with another woman? I know the one you were with was a bitch and all but why?" Ino asked.

"Because, he likes to chase all the mini skirts that he can" joked Colby. Jason, Denny, Tallus, Kiba and Steve all cracked up laughing. Suzanna and Ino glared at Colby as they rolled into town. Jazz and the wives were waiting for them along with all the little kids. There were almost two dozen kids ranging in ages from 14 all the way down to just a few months old.

"Ino, Kiba you are looking at the entire Miles family right here." Said Tallus as they rolled to a stop. "Is Akmaru good with kids?"

"Yeap, he good with kids" Kiba replied as Akmaru jumped out and started sniffing all the kids. They giggled and laughed as the petted him, Suzanna and Ino laughed as they watched Akamaru lay on the ground and rolled onto his back as some of the kids rubbed his belly.

"Morgan, come over here." Steve said as he scooped up Morgan and brought her over to Suzanna. Colby had the door open to the Humvee and he was sitting with his legs out the door with one boot off trying to get a rock out of it. Ino and Suzanna jumped down from the back of the Humvee and Suzanna took Morgan from Steve.

"How's my little sister been?" Suzanna said. Morgan smiled cutely.

"Good, how's my big sister been?" Morgan said back. Ino walked over to Colby as he finally got the rock out of his boot and put in back on.

"I've been good, Colby helped save me and daddy today." said Suzanna grinning over at Colby. He didn't notice Suzanna grinning at him as he and Ino walked over to mingle with the rest of the family.

"Of course he did! I told him to bring you back" Morgan said. Suzanna and Steve laughed as Suzanna put Morgan down. Zeek and Joe came running up to Suzanna yelling as they tackled her. Kiba sat on the side of Humvee's bed and watched. Akamaru was enjoying all the attention he was getting. Colby and Ino sat on a bench in front of the hotel.

"Today was exciting wasn't it?" Ino said.

"Yes, yes it was." Colby replied as he leaned back and rested his head against the side of the building and pulled his hat down over his eyes. "You that rescue went a little too well. We should start thinking about get out of here asap. You saw Suzanna's mom didn't you?"

"Yeah I did." Ino said.

"All the more reason we should go. I got a bad feeling" Colby said.

"_Colby good job today. " _Shinkasen voice spoke in his head.

"_Thanks but I don't think we are out of the woods yet." _Colby though as a replay of the morning's event played in his mind.

"_Same here. We should tell the others we need to get going. _"

"_We should but I doubt they would go with it." _Colby thought.

"What the hell!" Ino yelled. Colby lifted up his hat and saw and black bear with a white V shaped marking on it's chest staring at him. Colby jumped in surprise. Everyone turned around to see what Ino was yelling about.

"You freaking dink, Shinkasen! You could have told me you were going to make a surprise appareance." Colby shouted.

"If I had told you then it wouldn't have been a surprise." The bear said. "Anyways now that everyone's attention is on you, you should tell them."

"If you think we are leaving you would be wrong." Tallus spoke up. "We will be going back and blowing that place to kingdom-come"

"Well their's your answer." Colby said to Shinkasen. "Hey dad, so umm when are we going to have lunch?" Tallus looked at his watch.

"In about an hour when we get things set up." he said. "Jason, Denny, Jerris, Jazz, George. Come with me, lets get lunch started."

* * *

The family was setting up lunch up in the town park. The train tracks ran straight through it. Suzanna, Ino, Kiba, Colby, were in charge of watching all the kids while the adults got lunch ready. None of them had any idea on what to do with all the kids. Shinkasen had gone back into Colby's head. Colby and Kiba were locked in a heat arm wrestling match and all the kids had crouded around and were rooting for Colby. Kiba's and Colby's arms were buldging as the flexed and strained trying to force the other's hand down onto the picknick table. Their faces were beat red as the contest dragged on. Colby smiled as he surpised Kiba and used his other hand to help and using both arms forced Kiba's hand to the table. The kids started cheering as Colby and Kiba started laughing.

"Hey let's get some music going here." Suzanna said walking over to the group wiht Ino.

"Sounds like an idea to me" Ino said. Colby and Kiba shurgged, they didn't care just as long as it was good music. Suzanna went and drove one of the Humvees over to them, parked it and put in a cd, opened up all the doors and cranked up the volume. Colby smiled as the song started to play, all the kids started dancing to it.

"Sweet, Six Days on the Road! Love this song, it's been a while since I heard this one!" Colby said as he and some of the older kids sang along with Colby singing in the lead. Suzanna laughed as she and Ino sang along too.

_Well I pulled out of Pittsburgh rolling down the eastern seaboard_  
_I've got me diesel wound up and she's running like a never before_  
_There's a speed zone ahead but all right, I don't see a cop in sight_  
_Six days on the road and I'm gonna make it home tonight_

_I got ten forward gears and a Georgia overdrive_  
_I'm passing little white lines and my eyes are open wide_  
_Just passed a Jimmy and a White, I've been passing everything in sight_  
_Six days on the road and I'm gonna make it home tonight_

_Well it seems like a month since I kissed my baby goodbye _  
_I could have a lot of woman but I'm not like some of the guys_  
_I could find one to hold me me tight,_  
_But I could not make believe it's right_  
_Six days on the road and I'm gonna make it home tonight_

Colby kissed Ino and Suzanna kissed Kiba during the guitar solo, to the cheers and hoot n' hollars from the entire family as they watched them.

_Well the ICC is checking on down the line_  
_I'm a little overweight and my log books are way behind_  
_But nothing bothers me tonight, I can dodge all the scales all right_  
_Six days on the road and I'm gonna make it home tonight_

_My rigs a little old but that don't mean she's slow_  
_There's a flame from her stack and the smoke's rolling black as coal_  
_My home town's coming in sight, if you think I'm happy your right_  
_Six days on the road and I'm gonna make it home tonight_

Almost as if it were planned a hot shot freight came roaring through with black smoke blowing from it's stack, there was an occasion flash of flame that poked up out of the stack. There were four wheels on the lead truck, six main driving wheels and four trailing wheels. The engine was all black and it's age showed through it's faded paint job. The brass numbers on the side of the cab hardly reflected the noon sun. It's tender was a rectangle with four wheeled truck at the front and rear of it. It looked old and beat up but it was flying.

_Six days on the road and I'm gonna make it home tonight_

_Six Days On The Road and_  
_I'm gonna make it home tonight_

When the song ended it was time for lunch. It was a fest of just about everything that could be found at the local food store. Everyone was enjoying themselfs, eating joking, telling stories. It was all fun and games until an uninvited visitor showed up.


	6. Chapter 6

I don't own anything. Sorry it's been a while. Been swamped with school work for the last quarter of senior year. Final push is always a pain...

Everyone was enjoying themselves when a figures standing on the tree tops caught Suzanna's eye. She looked at the figures and watched them as they moved from tree top to tree top. Akamaru started growling when the wind shifted direction. Ino, Kiba, Suzanna all looked at each other with concerned looks but said nothing. They knew who was coming but hoped it was just a scouting party. Jazz walked over to them and sat down next to Ino.

"So what do you think?" Jazz asked.

"The food is awesome. You cook any of this?" Kiba asked as he took another bit of grilled chicken.

Jazz laughed, "Nope. The guys did. It's a family tradition. The guys cook when we have family get together and the girls cook the rest of the time. More often than not the guys cooking is better than ours when it comes to cooking meat but that's about it"

"Hey! I cook a mean steak you know!" Suzanna said.

Kiba nodded in agreement, "You haven't tried steak till you've tasted one Suzanna has cooked. It's better than those $20 steaks at some of the restaurants back in the Leaf Village."

"So can Colby cook?" Ino asked Jazz. Jazz laughed as she shook her head.

"Not unless you want to eat breakfast three times a day. Outside of breakfast he can't cook to save himself, but as long as you got canned food, frozen pizza, bread, cheese, meat, and a working toaster or oven, he can feed himself. Other than that, no he can't cook. He tries to but fails badly at it. Speaking of Colby where is he?"

"Playing baseball with the kids" Suzanna said as she pointed to the middle of the park. Colby was up to bat, the pitch came right down the middle. Colby swung at it and connected. The ball went flying over towards the table where Jazz, Ino, Kiba, and Suzanna were sitting. "Incoming!" Suzanna shouted.

Everyone got out of the way as the ball rocketed down into Kiba's plate of food and oblerating any remaining food that was on the plate. Colby laughed has he watched the ball hit the table and bounce off as he ran around the bases. Ino caught the ball as it came back down from its bounce and launched it back toward home plate. Colby saw the ball coming back as he rounded 2nd base and decided to go for home. The ball was almost at home plate when Colby rounded 3rd base and started booking towards home.

"He's out. He won't make it." Suzanna said to Ino.

Ino laughed, " You think so? I think it will be close."

Colby dived head first into home plate, the pitcher jumped and tried to catch it but missed and as Colby was sliding across home plate the ball can down and nailed him in the butt. Colby shouted in surprise as Suzanna and Ino fell over laughing when they saw the ball impact Colby. All the kids started laughing too as he got up and rubbed his butt. He started shouting at them but Ino and Suzanna couldn't hear over their own laughter. Colby picked up the ball and launched it back at Suzanna and Ino. The ball again rocketed through the air and just as Ino and Suzanna stood up the ball came down and hit Suzanna in the shoulder, it bounced off and hit Ino in one of her breast. This time it was Colby's turn to fall over laughing. All the kids were laughing throughout all of this but stopped when they saw Suzanna and Ino charging across the field towards Colby with red in their eyes.

"Crap! Run!" Colby shouted as he took off and started running away from Ino and Suzanna. Colby still had his armor on and started taking it off and throwing it behind him. Everyone watched and laughed at the sight of Colby being chased.

"Colby you are supposed to be chasing the girls! Not having them chase you!" Jason shouted. All the guys started laughing as Colby started running in zigzags to try and trip up the girls, but it only worked in giving Ino and Suzanna a chase to corner him against a tree. He had Ino on his left and Suzanna on his right. The girls closed in on him as he made on last ditch attempt to escape, but his idea of escaping surprised the girls. He charged at Ino, tackled her then picked her up, tossed her onto his shoulder and ran away from Suzanna while carrying Ino. Kiba was laughing as Colby ran by. He slowed down enough to drop off Ino before taking off again. Ino took off after him. Jason and Denny got the same idea as they went to the little kids and got them to chase Colby too.

Ino finally caught up to Colby and tackled him to the ground. Colby and Ino skidded across the grass. Colby ended up under Ino when all the kids pig piled on top of them. After a moment of letting the kids have their fun being on top of the pile Colby had had enough of being the foundation for the tower of kids that was sitting on top of him and Ino.

"Off, Off, Off," Colby tried to shout but his voice got drowned out by the sound of laughter. Suzanna and Kiba came jogging over to see who ended up on bottom. Both of them heard Colby but didn't do much to help. Ino had had enough too of being on the bottom of the pile and shouted for the kids to get off. This time she was heard and the kids got off. Suzanna and Kiba laughed when they saw Colby at the very bottom. He glared at them but it didn't help any.

"Got you!" Ino boasted as she looked down at Colby. He just rolled his eyes.

"I let you get me." He said then slyly smiled as he rolled over and got Ino off of him. He sat up and took a few breaths before standing back up.

"Yeah, ok, You were booking it as fast as you can" Ino said as Colby helped her onto her feet. Colby shrugged his shoulders as if to say he didn't care.

"Ya know Colby if you trained with me and Akamaru you would be able to run a lot faster than Ino" Kiba joked but his attention was suddenly drawn to the tree line.

"I'm a fish. Not a dog." Colby replied, he noticed Kiba's attention shift. "Don't let your attention drift to the tree line. We know they are there. Let's get back before we make our move."

Suzanna and Ino each had a hand on their kuni just in case things got interesting. "Come on you guys!" Jazz shouted to them from across the field. All the kids started heading towards the rest of the family. Kiba, Suzanna, Ino and Colby brought up the rear of the group of kids as they walked back towards the rest of the family.

When they rejoined the family, Colby and Jason headed off to one of the vehicles. Ino, Kiba and Suzanna, mingled with the family. After a while Colby and Jason came back each was carrying a sniper rifle with a suppressor attached to the end of the muzzle. Jason went over and spoke with Tallus, Jerris and Denny. Tallus nodded and spoke with Jazz. Jazz nodded and got the rest of the girls to get the kids and started to lead them down the train station. Ino, Kiba and Suzanna wondered what was going on then they saw Colby and Jason setting up the sniper rifle.

"What are you guys..." Suzanna started to ask but Jason cut her off.

"Get ready for a long hard fight" Jason said as he and Colby lay on their bellies at the top a small hill that over looked the field that the kids were playing in just a half an hour before.

"Suzanna. Be careful I think your mother might be out there." Colby warned as he scanned the tree line and identified targets. "Ino, Kiba. Watch yourself out there. I'll stay back here this time you guys cut lose and kick ass, once things get going is when you'll hear me." Colby smiled like he had a plan.

The three of them nodded as Colby started to fire. The gun make only a quiet thud as it was fired. Suzanna and Kiba started to see shadows fall to the ground as they looked across the field at the tree line. Suzanna, Ino, Kiba and Akamaru sprint towards the tree line while the rest of the family decides to hang back and lay down covering fire. They don't want to risk having a potential opening where the kids in the family would be open to attack.

"C'mon Let's go!" Shouted Suzanna as she, Ino, Kiba and Akamaru sprinted towards the tree line. Colby and Jason were picking off enemy ninja that were hiding in the shadows as the rest of the guys opened up small arms and machine guns. The general plan was to provide covering fire while Ino, Suzanna and Kiba to do the hand to hand fighting, with an option for Colby to join them.

The cracking of M16s, M14, Browning Automatic Rifles, .30 and .50 cal machine guns filled the air as Suzanna, Ino, Kiba and Akamaru sprinted across the field. Bullets were wizzing over their heads and taking out ninja in front of them. Ino and Kiba sent shurikin and kuni flying into any lucky (or unlucky) that hadn't been hit but the gun fire. The three of them reached the tree line the gun fire stopped, as they cautiously entered the woods. Colby and Jason move to the top of a small hill that directly faced the tree line.

Suzanna, Ino and Kiba had had their work up out for them when they were out in the open but now they were on their own or least so they thought. Ino was peeking around a tree when an enemy ninja jumped down from a branch. As Ino turned around to strike there was a BANG then a thud. The ninja's eyes rolled back in his head as his mid section exploded spraying blood and guts all over Ino. In shock Ino turned towards the field and saw Colby waiving to her. She flipped him off as she wiped the blood from her face.

The minutes passed quickly for Suzanna as she fought her way through the woods. Every so often Suzanna would look around for Ino and Kiba, when she saw them she continued on. Ino and Kiba were taking out ninja like they were nothing, which, surprised them and worried Kiba a little bit. Ino called out to Suzanna and Kiba to hold up for a quick breather. The three of them looked behind then and saw they were father into the woods than they thought they were. They only saw trees and dense ground foaliage, the birds sang in warning as a flock took to the air. Small critters scampered up the trees and to safety.

"Suzanna trouble is coming and I don't like the feel of things." Rensha voice echoed through Suzanna's head. "We should turn back"

"No. We keep going I got a feeling that monster is hiding around here and I'm gonna find her." Suzanna thought then spoke to Ino and Kiba "Let's get moving again. Kiba nodded but Ino looked worried. She was getting a creepy feeling about the woods.

"We should head back. I think we got all of them." Ino said but Suzanna started to press deeper into the woods.

"You coming Ino?" Kiba asked. "Come on everything will be find." Ino nodded but she was starting to get a feeling of uncertainty. Probably just nerves and adraline playing tricks on her mind. "Wish Colby had come with us." Ino said quietly.

Colby looked at his watch. It has been almost half an hour since Suzanna, Ino and Kiba had gone into the woods and they still had not come back out. He was starting to think thoughts that he never would have imagined he would think about. He tried to shake them off but they kept coming back to him.

"Hey. You feeling what I'm feeling?" Shinkasen's voice echoed through his head.

"Trouble in the woods? Yeeap, we should go take a look." Colby said out loud, Jason looked at him. "What are you talking about? Trouble in the woods?"

"Take over the gun I'm heading in I got a bad feeling." Colby grabbed his BAR and started walking, the broke into a light jog, then took off in a dead sprint towards the woods. Jason scratched his head in wonder. Tallus, Jerris and Denny all watched Colby as he disappeared into the woods.

"Should we send in a team?" Denny asked.

"Colby can take care of himself but have one ready just in case" Tallus replied.

"Shinkasen where are they? I don't like what I'm feeling at the moment." Colby said out loud as Shinkasen appeared next to him in his demon bear form and ran next to him.

"Just keep running straight and don't run into anything." Shinkasen said.

Suzanna continued to sprint through the woods but had not encountered any resistance since she, Ino and Kiba had stopped. Kiba and Akamaru hadn't senced anything. When suddenly she stopped in a small little clearing. Ino and Kiba ran up next to her. There, standing across the clearing was Suzanna's "mother". It was quiet for a minute as they stared each other down, when Colby came barreling through the under growth. As he entered the clearing Suzanna's mother charged at him. Colby aimed his BAR and was about to shoot when Suzanna got in his line of sight.

"Suzanna MOVE! I'll take her down with one shot!" Colby shouted.

"No! This is my fight stay out of it!" Suzanna shouted. There was a hit of demon tone in her voice. Her brown eyes had changed over to red.

"MOVE!" shouted Colby as he shifted posititon to get a shot off but before he could re-aim the gun Suzanna and her mother (Lady Whittum) were already engaged in hand to hand combat.

Punches and blocks were flying both ways, but neither of them started to use any of their chakra, not yet anyways. Colby was itching to find an opening where he could help as was Ino and Kiba, but none of them got a opening.

"Ino, Kiba. Keep an eye out for any more ninja that may come." Colby shouted at them as he started to eye ball a tall tree. Ino and Kiba nodded when Suzanna came skidding across the ground towards Ino. All Ino saw coming towards her at that moment was a cloud of dust but Kiba and Colby saw it was Suzanna and as Ino reacted and moved out of the way Kiba and Colby both came in sliding like baseball players from opposite directions. Kiba caught Suzanna and Colby caught Kiba and Suzanna, but her momentum sent all three of them skidding backwards into a tree with Colby's shoulder taking the brunt of the impact. There was a loud POP when the three of them hit the tree.

"GAAWWW FRIGGEN SON OF A BITCH!" Yelled Colby in pain. Kiba and Suzanna scrambled off of him and looked in shock. His shoulder was slumped over and out of place. "Don't look at me! Look out behind you!" he shouted as his saw Lady Whittum charging towards them like a bat out of hell. Kiba and Suzanna ducked out of her path but she kept charging towards Colby. Colby's mind went robotic and in the blink of an eye he had pulled out his pistol and fired wildly. Bullets passed to the left and to the right missing but a lucky one nailed the on coming monster in the knee and that was enough to disrupt Lady Whittum's momentum long enough for Suzanna to come thundering in from the side and with a perfectly placed kick sent Lady Whittum skidding of course. Ino rushed in and helped Colby up and move him to a saver place behind a large tree close to the clearning where they could still watch the fight. Kiba soon joined them.

"Gimme a stick or somethin. Gonna pop mah shouldah back in." Colby grimanced as the slightest touch sent pain roaring through his shoulder and arm.

"You sure about this? You could mess up your shoulder really back if you try it your self." Ino said in protest. Kiba broke off a small branch and took the leaves off of it and gave it to Colby. Colby glared at Ino. He wasn't in the mood to argue about medical procedures for popping a dislocated shoulder back into place. He bit on the stick and with a grunt shoved his dislocated shoulder back into place with a sickening crackle and pop.

"I'm done fighting for the day." He said as there was a crash behind Ino and Kiba. Suzanna stood up as a punch from Lady Whittum connected with her gut and knocked her back. "Now's your chance to help. GO!" Ino and Kiba took off to help Suzanna.

"You pitiful child you don't have a snowball's chance in hell of beating me!" Lady Whittum laughed as Suzanna staggard to her feet.

"You said that about me living through your torture bitch!" Suzanna yelled as she quickly glanced over at Colby and saw him leaning up against the tree but didn't seem him move. Then she saw Ino and Kiba come running towards her, but then Rensha's voice echoed through her head. "Colby is fine. He's nursing a dislocated shoulder, Suzanna. Shinkasen is taking care of him."

"You and your friends won't live through this!" Lady Whittum yelled as she charged towards Suzanna.

"Watch us bitch!" Suzanna yelled back with her demonic voice become more pronounced in her voice. Ino and Kiba both rammed Lady Whittum before she reached Suzanna.

"I'm gonna paint the trees red with your blood when I'm done with you!" She said as she knocked Ino against a tree and sent Kiba flying across the clearing.

"You never were much of a painter anyways." Suzanna snapped as she started to back up towards Colby figuring that he is probably still unable to fully take care of himself.

"Better than what you could ever do." Lady Whittum started walking towards Suzanna as Suzanna kept backing up, they were now within ear shot of Colby where he could now chime in.

"Ha.. Im the fucking creative one in this family" Suzanna yelled with a little chuckle in her voice. Colby heard this and saw his opening to chime in.

"You aint the only creative one in the family ya know!" Colby shouted from his resting spot.

"I'll change that soon enough." Lady Whittum shouted.

"Colby shut up, and you will never kill either of us. With or without our demons!" Suzanna fired back.

"Oh yes I will!"

With a blur, Lady Whittum dashed across the clearing with kuni drawn, in a burst of speed and flew past Suzanna, who was stunned at how fast her opponent could still move, and made a line straight for Colby. Figuring this could be it for him, he fixed his bannonet to the end of his rifle and got ready stick the on-coming blur. Suddenly, Ino, Kiba and Akamaru came out of nowhere and rammed into Lady Whittum head-on, but again she blew through them and this time she landed hits on all three of them with her kuni. Sending them skidding across the ground leaving a trail of blood.

"This is it!" yelled Colby as Lady Whittum rapidly closed in on him. At the last moment he thrusted the rifle with all that he had in his good arm into Lady Whittum. The blade found it's mark as it sank into her Kidney. With a squeeze of the trigger, Colby fired the last 3 rounds that were in the clip. Lady Whittum pulled herself free from the blade as she stumbled backwards.

It was quiet for a moment when Lady Whittum started laughing like she had just heard the funniest joke in the world. Suzanna and Colby looked at her like 'what the hell? You just got stabbed and shot point blank in the kidney and you find it funny?" Then she got real quiet.

"Boy, you have a lot to learn" she said. As she turned around to face Suzanna, a yellow light bathed the area and Suzanna was in a cloak of golden chakra. Her eyes had turned from brown to red and other than the chakra and her eyes being a different color she looked the same only highly pissed off.

"Shikasen. What the hell just happened?" Colby asked quietly to himself as he started to form a plan on getting Ino, Kiba and Akamaru out of the way.

"Ummmm... Suzanna is pissed and her demon chakra is starting to take over, in layman's terms." Shinkasen said "Suzanna doesn't know how to control her demon yet. This aint looking good. Oh and your shoulder should be all set now. Time to get back into the fight." Colby nodded as he stared at Suzanna for a moment before shaking his in disbelief.

"First we need to get Ino, Kiba and Akamaru outah there before we get back into the fight." Colby said quietly as he started to stand up and manuver his way towards Ino, taking care to stay out of Lady Whittum's line of sight. He could feel his adraline rushing though his system but today it seemed like there was a little extra something starting to work it's way into his system.

Suzanna was breathing hard as she death glared at her mother. The power and energy she felt coursing through her system made her feel bullet proof. Seeing Kiba and Ino laying on the ground in bloody heaps had pissed her off something feirce, but the fact that is was her arch enemy really sent her over the deep end.

"Now Suzanna! Now is your chance to take her down! Let me guide you through this one and we will win!" Rensha's voice rang through Suzanna's head enticing her and encouraging her to end this fight. "For years you have waited for this. You have the desire to do it! Now do it! Kill her! Show her how strong you are! Look at what she did to your friends, they are dead!" Rensha chanted in Suzanna's head.

"This ends here and now bitch!" Suzanna shouted in her full demon voice. Lady Whittum was taken back a little bit at her demon voice but was undeterred. She just smirked, and glanced at the unconscious bodies of Ino, Kiba, and Akamaru but didn't notice Colby lurking in the shadows off to her left.

"Oh it will end here and now!" Lady Whittum replied with a evil grin. "Your friends are dead and your cousin is not around anymore. It's just me and you." Smiling wickedly she drew a second kuni knife. Suzanna also drew a kuni knife. They squared off and started circling each other like two boxers in a boxing ring. Colby decided it was safe enough to be a little bold, and walked over to Ino, picked her up and carried her to a safe spot behind a large tree. She still had a pulse but it was faint.

"Shinkasen, come out and help Ino I'm going back for Kiba." He said out loud then he heard a loud thud in front of him. Startled he looked up and saw Kiba laying in front of him. "Well that was easy." he said with a chuckle and started to do what he could to tend to their wounds, but it was clear to him that he need back up.

Suzanna and Lady Whittum were going at each other like two lions battling for dominance. Though surprisingly neither of them had used any genjutsu, or ninjutsu least not yet anyways. Suzanna was the first to break out the special affects.

"Ninja art! Sound Wave!" She yelled as she clapped her hands together and a focused blast of sound waves mixed in with chakra pelted Lady Whittum. The sound generated was like a Boeing C-17 Globemaster (Largest US Military transport aircraft in the US Air Force) at take off, with full throttle. Even though Colby, Ino and Kiba were behind Suzanna the sound was still deafening. Colby covered his ears. The trees behind Lady Whittum creaked and groaned as they were bent backwards. Few snapped like twigs at their base because of the force. The sound was heard all the way back at the clearing were the family was and it startled everyone there. When the roar of the attack died down Lady Whittum was still standing although a bit unsteady on her feet. Suzanna closed the distance between then rapidly and landed a roundhouse kick to the temple. Lady Whittum was sent sprawling to the ground with blood starting to run down her face from the injury. Colby cringed at the sound as foot met skull.

Ino grunted and drew Colby's attention away from the fight. The bandages he had applied were already starting to show blood on the outer most layer.

"Ino don't move, it's going to be alright." He said as he reached for his pack are drew out a large orange pistol. It was a flare gun and he only had 2 flares left. "Help is coming" he said as he fired the flare into the air and watched it leave a trail of smoke on it's way up to the sky, hoping it would clear the tree tops and be seen.

Back at the park area Tallus, Jerris and Jason were talking quietly about was Colby had said when George spotted the flare.

"Hey! Flare!" he shouted and Jason, Jerris and Tallus turned and watched as the flare floated in the air for a few seconds before going out.

"Alright there's a signal. Load up and let's move!" Said Tallus.

Suzanna cautiously approached the unmoving body of Lady Whittum not knowing if the kick to the head was a kill shot or not. As she go closer the body vanished in a plume of smoke and in its place was a log.

"Damn, substitution." She uttered. Suddenly Rensha's voice rang through her head. "Suzanna, below you!"

Before she could react Lady Whittum shot up from the ground below her and grabbed a hold of Suzanna's throat, and lifted her up into the air. Colby felt the ground vibrate and looked up to see Suzanna firmly in the grasp of her opponent. He had just reloaded the flare gun and hesitated a moment as he watched Lady Whittum's grip tighten on Suzanna's throat. Then as he got ready to aim the flare gun at Lady Whittum, Suzanna vanished in a cloud of smoke and in her place was a stick.

"That a girl Suz." He smiled to himself, but the smile didn't last long as Lady Whittum turned her head at looked straight at him. "Oh shit, Shinkasen, we got trouble."

"Yeah I know relax and let me take over." Skinkasen's voice echoed through his head.

"Better do it quick" Colby said as his mind started to race wildly as he felt himself become more energized and more bad ass I suppose one could say. As he felt his demon take over but in a much more controlled manner than how Suzanna let her demon take over. A blue light lit up the area as Colby skipped the chakra cloak and went straight to his demon form. As the light died down, his green camo had changed to black camo with a strip of white camo running from each shoulder to the center of his chest in the shape of a downward pointing arrow. He didn't change much physically but he just had this kind of air about him that made him seem like he had changed greatly.

"Well, so you too have resorted to demon form too eh?" Lady Whittum smirked "It will make it that much more interesting what I kill you"

"I'll take you on but you won't kill me because railroaders can't be killed." Colby replied with no hint of demon in his voice.

Surprised at the way his voice sounded even though his is in his demon form Lady Whittum spoke. "You are in demon for yet there is no sound of demon in your voice. That never happens! Tell me boy before I kill you, you really in your demon form or you playing games with me?"

Colby smiled as he felt Suzanna's presence behind him and decided to have a lil fun and whip out the Maine-ah accent. "Well gease I dunno, bubby. Shud I really tell ya der sceret to controlin the demon? Den again you prublee couldn't handle such ah feat with dat limited skill set ya got der. I think a lobstah could do it beddah than you."

He smiled as he watched Lady Whittum's face turn beat red with anger as the insult started to register in her mind. He felt a breeze blow past him as Suzanna dashed out of the shadows and bee lined it straight for Lady Whittum again a roundhouse kick connected with her temple and again Lady Whittum was sent tumbling to the ground. Suzanna pulled out her kuni and fell apon Lady Whittum and drove the blade into her back. This time though it was the real Lady Whittum as Lady Whittum screamed in pain.

"Die BITCH! DIE!" Suzanna yelled in her full demon voice which worried Colby as he remained in his demon form and watched from the sidelines. As Suzanna pulled the knife free and raise it for another stab into her opponent, Lady Whittum rolled over and punched Suzanna in the face then the gut in rapid succession before grabbing her by the throat again and pinning her against a tree. This time there was no substitution for Suzanna as she struggled to get free of the tightening grip. Lady Whittum brought her face close to Suzanna's face.

"Little brat. I won't die" she said with a growl.

"Go time?' Colby asked Shinkasen

"Go time" Shinkasen replied.

"Go time it is then" Colby said as he grabbed his BAR with the bannonet attached to it and reloaded the weapon as he charged from the tree line and ran straight towards Lady Whittum. Suzanna saw Colby charging and tried to yell at him to stop but she couldn't get a word as her vision started to blurr. Lady Whittum glance over her shoulder and saw Colby almost on top of her.

"You fool!" She yelled and she turned with Suzanna still in her grip and pulled out a kuni with her free hand. Colby, only seeing Lady Whittum holding Suzanna in front of her thought she was trying to use Suzanna as a human shield and with hardly any time to react Colby dropped him rifle and chose to opt punching Lady Whittum in the face instead of a possible kill shot with the rifle. He missed Suzanna and as his arm was extending for the punch to the face he felt cold steel slice though his ribs as the blade passed between his ribs and clipped his lung just enough to open a small hole in his lung. Clutching his side Colby went down and skidded across the ground as he started to cough up blood and gasp for breath. Suzanna looked on in shock as she watched her cousin gasp for breath as he coughed up blood.

"Bitch!" Suzanna gasped as she kicked Lady Whittumin the gut and got free of her death hold. As Suzanna back away a red light started to glow around her just as Ino and Kiba started to wake up.

Tallus, Jerris, Jason, Steve, Jason and a few other members of the family ran through the woods towards where they thought the flare had come from as the sounds of combat caught their attention.

"Come on pick it!" Tallus shouted.

As the red light subsided Suzanna has transformed into her demon form. Her green camo had changed into red camo with gold fringe running down the length of the arms, her black boots had turned red with bird talons outline in gold. The red chakra cloak still surrounded her as she opened her eyes. Rensha had now fully taken over Suzanna's mind and was geared for all out destruction. Colby rolled on to side and faced away from Suzanna with his wound off the ground.

"You bitch! You killed by friends, you killed my cousin. Now I'm going to KILL YOU!" she yelled in her full blown demon voice that echoed through the woods. Suzanna took off like a bat out of hell and blazed towards Lady Whittum and connected with a solid punch to Lady Whittum's gut that sent her flying back into a tree. Suzanna followed and cut lose with punches to Lady Whittum that landed all over in rapid succession. Suddenly she let a roundhouse kick fly and nailed Lady Whittum in the head again and sent flying into another tree. Again Suzanna followed her and cut lose with the punches in rapid succession. Suzanna repeated this until she had made her way around the entire clearing.

The speed and power with which Suzanna unleashed on Lady Whittum was insane. It was like a life sized game of pinball was being played. Lady Whittum fly across the clearing, smashing into trees, sometimes going through trees and leaving a hole in some.

Tallus, Jerris, Jason, Steve, George and a few other family members came running out into the clearing as Lady Whittum went flying past them with Suzanna following close behind. At first they didn't recognize Suzanna but it didn't take them long to figure it out who it was when they spotted Ino and Kiba leaning against a near by tree.

"Ino, Kiba. How you two holding up?" Jerris asked as he started to tend to their wounds.

"C...Colby" Ino said weakly as she point to were Colby was laying on the ground.

"Shit COLBY!" Tallus yelled as he and Steve sprinted to Colby. "Colby you ok?"

Colby didn't answer as Steve picked him up and carried him back to where the group was. The one-way battle between Suzanna and her mother raged on for another half hour as Suzanna pounded the life out of Lady Whittum. Kiba was the first one to wake back up. He watched in amazement as Suzanna opened up can after can of woop ass.

"Kill her, Suzanna!" Shouted Kiba as Suzanna flew past him. In responce Suzanna pulled out a kuni knife and as Lady Whittum slammed up against a tree for the last time Suzanna went in for the kill and drove the knife straight into the heart of her opponent and repeatedly stabbed Lady Whittum as her dead body slumped down the tree trunk. Suzanna continued to unleash her rage as repeatedly stabbed the dead body. Kiba jogged out to her with Steve.

"Suzanna! Stop! She's dead already!" Kiba shouted.

"The bitch aint dead yet!" Suzanna shouted back.

"Yes she is dead!" Steve shouted as Kiba wrapped Suzanna in a bear hug are tried to restrain her. Steve took away the kuni knife from her before she tried to use it on Kiba. "Suzanna calm down, it's me Kiba! I'm alright, I'm fine. Stop, Suzanna, please stop!" Kiba said as he hugged Suzanna even tighter.

"Kiba?" Suzanna asked as she stopped struggling and as she started to calm down her demon form went away as did the chakra cloak.

"Yes Suzanna, it's me, Kiba and Your father is here too! Colby and Ino are going to be fine too. You won Suzanna, you won!" Kiba said as Suzanna started to break down into tears and hugged him back.

"OOH Kiba, I thought I had lost you, Ino and Colby for good.' She said in between sobs.

"It's alright Suzanna, I'm here so is Colby and Ino." Kiba reassured her.

"Come. Let's go see them." Steve said as he and Kiba helped Suzanna to her feet. As the walked over to where the group was Suzanna's heart sank as she saw two humvees with a red cross on them drive into the clearing. She broke into a run and ran over to where the humvees were. When she got there Colby and Ino were being put onto streachers and were about ready to be loaded into one of the humvees.

"Colby! Ino!" Suzanna yelled. The medics loaded Colby and Ino into the humvee just as she got there. "Let me ride with them"

"Yeah, go ahead" Tallus said as Suzanna jumped into the back of Humvee, everyone else got into the other humvee and they circled around in the clearing are drove back to town. In the back of the humvee Suzanna, Kiba, Ino and Colby were riding in Suzanna started to use her medical training to help heal Ino first. It wasn't long before Suzanna was starting to heal Colby but when Suzanna lifted up his shirt to take a look at his wound it was almost completely healed already. Although his wound had just about fully healed he was still unconscious and hardly breathing.

"Wasn't Colby wearing green camo this afternoon when we were having lunch?" asked Suzanna. Ino and Kiba nodded. "Then why is wearing black camo with that yellow striped?" She asked confused.

"That's his demon form" said one of the medics. "Strangely he had full control over his demon unlike you."

Suzanna looked at Colby then to the medic confused. The medic laughed.

"He has better control over his demon than you do over yours. He doesn't get as much power from his emotions as you do." the medic said.

"Yeah I bet.. I has a longer fuse when it comes to getting pissed than me" Suzanna said.

"Hey Suzanna move over I wanna try something." Ino said. Suzanna moved over as Ino sat next to Colby. She made a few hand signs as her hands glowed with green chakra. Placing both hands on Colby chest Ino kissed Colby on the lips and exhaled into his lungs as she broke off from the kiss Colby started to breath normally and within a few minutes his eyes stared to open as his demon form faded away and his black camo uniform faded back to it's original green.

"Ino? Suzanna? What happened?" Colby asked as he came around.

"Let's just say I don't have a mother anymore" Suzanna said with a smile.

"Nice. Bout time that bitch bit the dust." Colby smiled as Ino leaned over him.

"Do I owe you, or do you owe me?" Ino asked with a little smile.

"I don't know, I don't keep track of who owes who what, but me thinks we kiss and call it even?" He said with smile. Ino laughed "Sounds good for right now" As Colby and Ino kissed. Kiba and Suzanna also kissed each other. The medic smiled as the pair of Humvees drove into town.


	7. Chapter 7

(I don't own anything… Thought I was done with this story but after rereading it. There is still more that needs to be added.)

The Humvees rolled into town and were greeted by the town people and all the wives and children of the family. There were members of the Anbu Black Ops there as well which didn't sit well with Tallus, Jason, Denny, Jerris and the rest of the guys. Kiba, Suzanna, Ino and Colby got out of the back of the Humvee they were riding in as the Anbu members walked up to them.

"Lady Tsunade wants you back asap for debriefing." One of them said.

"Tell her we will be there when we get there." Colby spoke the first thought that came to his mind. Ino slapped him across the back of the head.

"On our way now" Ino said. The Anbu stood there a moment as if they had more to say but then turned and took off towards the Leaf Village. Colby sat down on the ground as Zeek and Joe came running up and tackled him into a hug.

"Hey, easy now you two goobers." Colby lightly scolded the boys. Zeek and Jo looked at him with playful looks. "I got hurt today so I can't rough house with you two. Okay?" Zeek and Joe nodded as they gently hugged Colby and then decided to tackle Ino instead. She laughed as the boys tried to bring her down. Suzanna and Kiba looked to the clock at the entrance to the station platform.

"Ok you guys we got to get going. Hey Dad, meet you back at the Leaf?" Suzanna said and Steve nodded as Colby got up and got the boys off of Ino.

Lady Tsunade was sitting at her deck going over the reports as they came in. As she read there was a knock at the door.

"Enter" she said.

Ino, Colby, Kiba and Suzanna walked into the room. She looked at them and noticed Colby holding his side but said nothing for the moment.

"Well?" she asked.

"The mission was a success. We rescued my father and it was my mother who had taken him and used him for bait to lure us in, in an attempt to take us all down" Suzanna said as Ino spoke up.

"However we managed to overpower her and take her down." Ino said. Kiba went on to explain the rest of it but Colby was annoyed that one major detail got left out.

"I see. Is that all?" Tsunade asked when Kiba finished speaking.

"Nope" Colby said.

"Oh?" She said.

"We needed back up, and seeing as how we didn't have any I had to get my own. So I had to call in the family." Colby said. Suzanna death glared at him. She didn't want Tsunade to know.

"I know, the Anbu I sent out told me you had called in your family for backup and from the body count they gave me seems like you needed it." Tsunade said. "So how badly were you hurt?"

Colby lifted up his shirt and as he did so Ino blushed lightly. There were old scars on his chest and torso but Tsunade focused on the newest one. It was roughly 4 inches long and half an inch wide running right between a set of his ribs. Tsunade looked at him questioningly as he put his shirt back down, but he just grinned.

"How can you have already healed from an injury like that… Unless…." Tsunade pondered a moment then the light bulb came on in her mind. "You carry a demon spirit don't you?"

"Me and Suzanna both do." Colby said. Tsunade nodded.

"Very well then. You all are dismissed." She said. They bowed and exited the room, as they went down the stairs they met Naruto coming up the stairs. Naruto was feeling better after getting the food poisoning out of his system.

"Hey Ino!" Naruto said.

"Hi Naruto" Ino said as Colby wrapped his arm around her waist.

"Hey Colby, Ino. Kiba and I will meet you guys back at the house." Suzanna said.

"Ok. See you guys in a bit" Colby said as Suzanna and Kiba finished walking down the stairs and headed home.

"So Ino how did you guy's mission go?" Naruto asked.

"It went well except for a few mishaps here and there nothing really exciting." Ino replied trying to keep the talking to a minimum. She knew he was going to try and hit on her and didn't want to give him a chance to. Colby kept quiet but had a thought brewing in his head.

"Oh nice. So you want to go out for dinner to celebrate?" Naruto asked, Colby almost clocked Naruto but didn't move. "_Damn this kid has balls to ask her out right in front of me"_ Colby thought.

"Ummmm….." Ino started to say but Colby cut in. "Sorry Naruto but Ino and I had already made plans to go out tonight if we got back from our mission early enough."

"Oh ok then," Naruto said as he looked down at the floor, clearly his bubble had been popped and it showed. "Maybe, next time then?"

"Maybe, but I think I am booked for a while" Ino said as she kisses Colby.

"Alright we got to go or we are gonna be late for our date, babe." Colby said as Ino smiled and kissed him again.

"See you around Naruto" Ino said as she and Colby walked down the stairs and out on to the street.

"That didn't take long for them to hook up. What do chicks find so attractive about these train boys?" Naruto said quietly.

Back at the house Kiba and Suzanna were doing some light training in the backyard. Tallus, Steve, and Jason were watching them. Jazz was playing with Taylor and Morgan in the back yard as well.

"Hey Suzanna?" Kiba asked as they walked over to were Tallus, Jason and her dad was.

"Yes?" she answered as she sat in a blue lawn chair and looked over to where Jazz and the girls were playing.

"Do think that Colby would get ticked if Naruto or Sasuke started hitting on Ino again?" Kiba asked as the wail of a locomotive's whistle echoed through the village. Suzanna and the guys looked at him like he was nuts.

"He would get more than ticked if it happened more than once." Tallus said. "Colby got into many fights with guys when they use to hit on Ali. He would always win, no matter how big the guy was and he only stopped when Ali literally pulled him off of the poor guy"

"Wow. So he doesn't tolerate that at all does he?" Kiba said in amazement. Morgan came running over to Suzanna as she scooped up her sister and sat her in her lap and Suzanna then wrapped her arms around Morgan.

"No he doesn't. There are guys who would push his buttons aren't there?" Jason asked. Suzanna and Kiba nodded.

"There are three guys that would hit on Ino. One learns pretty quick when she is taken the other two however are jerks. Big time." Suzanna said being careful of what she said around her younger sister. "One of them is Naruto. He usually gets the hint pretty quick. The other two are Chouji and Sasuke. I know they are going to push Colby's buttons. One because he is new to the village and two he has Ino." Kiba said.

Ino and Colby were walking down the street heading back to the house. All of Ino's friends stopped and asked about her new boyfriend. Colby met, Ten Ten, Sakura, Hinata, Temari, Rock Lee, Neji and Shikamaru. Both of them were feeling pretty good until Ino spotted Sasuke Uchia.

"Fuck my life" Ino said as she hid behind Colby. He turned around and faced her.

"Why what's up?" He asked. Ino pointed and he looked over his shoulder and saw a kid about his age walking towards them. Colby turned back to Ino and rolled his eyes.

"How many guys do I have to fight off so everyone knows you are mine?" Colby said with a smile as he kissed her on her forehead.

"At least 2 and he is one of them is this guy." Ino said as Sasuke stood behind Colby.

"Hey there beautiful, you want to go out for dinner tonight?" Sasuke said in a cool tone that instantly bugged the crap out of Colby.

"Umm. How about no." Ino said flatly. Colby turned around and was face to face with Sasuke. Sasuke tried to show off his sharingan to Colby but he wasn't impressed.

"Ok and what is that supposed to do?" Colby asked flatly as he mentally got ready to give this Sasuke dude a beat down.

"You are the first guy who hasn't been afraid of my sharingan." Sasuke said in that cool tone of his.

"I have seen better tricks from a dog." Colby said "Now my turn." He blinked and his brown eyes turned a deep blue then glowed to a lighter blue then went back to a deep blue. Sasuke raised an eye brow but didn't seem impressed by it.

"What the hell is that?" Sasuke said.

"That is my sharingan." Colby said bluffing. All it really was was a trick he learned to freak out guys who tried to hit on Ali when they were dating. However it didn't work this time.

"Right anyways. Ino you sure you don't want to join me for dinner? Or does my place for the night sound better?" Sasuke asked.

"Ok buddy move along to another girl. Ino is mine and clearly she doesn't want you so beat it." Colby said as he gave Sasuke a shove away from Ino.

"Oh really? So Ino went for a low life train boy did she now?" Sasuke said.

"Suck my dick asshole." Colby said and next thing Sasuke knew he was flat on his back with a massive head ach looking up at a crowd of people looking down at him. Ino and Colby were long gone as Sasuke sat up and felt a lump on his forehead.

Tallus, Steve, Jason, Suzanna and Kiba were still talking about Colby when he and Ino walking into the house and headed to the back yard where everyone was. Akamaru was lying on the floor in front of the couch taking a nap. They all stopped talking when Colby walked into the yard and laid down on one of the reclining lawn chairs and took his shirt and boots off and pulled his hat down over his eyes. Ino sat down at the end of the chair and Colby rolled on to his side hopping Ino would lay next to him but she didn't. So he rolled back onto his back.

"You guys run into a lot people?" Tallus asked. Ino nodded with a smile as Colby chuckled from beneath his hat.

"We ran into all my friends on our way back." Ino said then Colby butted in "Yeah we ran into ALL of her friends." Tallus, Jason and Steve chuckled at Colby's reaction.

"Well, who did you guys run into?" Suzanna asked.

"We ran into, Ten Ten, Sakura, Temari, Hinata, Rock Lee, Neji and Shikamaru. All the girls seemed impressed with Colby and he seemed to get along pretty well with the guys." Ino said.

"Jerris, all the girls are too young for you so you can get those thoughts out of your head." Colby joked.

"Who said I was having those kinds of thoughts. You have your girl right next to you and I bet you are thinking what I think you are thinking right now." Jerris said. Ino blushed and started laughing histericly as Colby lifted up his hat and showed that his face was as red a lobster as he tried to glare at his uncle but he too was cracking up and everyone started laughing. Jazz and Taylor came over and Taylor and Morgan started laughing their butts off at Colby's face.

"I won't deny it…." Colby said laughing as he tried to make an innocent looking face. Ino stopped laughing and glared at him.

"Really now? Well maybe all you are going to get will be in your thoughts." She said with a seductively evil smile. Tallus, Steve, Jason, Kiba, Suzanna and Jazz all together yelled "OOOOOOOOOHHH" Then the laughing started up again when Morgan and Talyor both yelled "Ooh BURN!" Colby looked at the two of them shocked.

"Do you two even know what we are talking about?" Colby asked. Jazz then whispered something into Taylor's ear.

"No, but Jazzy does and she says that it means you are going to be sleeping on the couch tonight." Taylor said. Ino started laughing really hard at this as Colby looked at his cousins utterly dumbfounded. He tried to come up with a comeback but couldn't find any words.

"I quit. You guys are too brutal for me" Colby said as he pulled his hat down over his eyes. He felt Ino lie on top of him and lift up his hat; he opened his eyes and saw Ino's face close to his. She smiled as she felt his heart start racing.

"Now I have your attention" Ino said as she kissed him. He smiled into the kiss as he wrapped his arms around her. Whistles sang out from Tallus, Steve, Jason and Kiba. Kiba sat down next to Suzanna and kissed her on the check.

"Hey buddy. That's MY sister you are kissing!" Morgan said to Kiba. "You better not hurt her or I will kick your butt!" Morgan made as serious a face she could and pointed a finger at him.

"I won't Morgan. I could never hurt your sister." Kiba said as he looked at Steve. "I could never hurt Suzanna. It's not in me to do something that low to your daughter." Steve just shrugged.

"Hey you heard her. She will kick your butt if you hurt my daughter. I only get what's leftover. It's not me you have to worry about. You have to worry about Suzanna, Morgan then Colby then me. In that order too." Kiba looked over to Colby who made a gun with his hand and pointed it at him, the made believe he shot it and it had recoil.

"That's only if you live to make it to me" Colby said with a grin. "Morgan will put the hurt on you. I have firsthand experience."

"Yeah Morgan put the hurt of you a few times there Colbmonster." Jerris chuckled as Colby shuttered as that memory came back.

"Yeah that was a bad day to be me." Colby said. Everyone chuckled except Ino and Kiba. Ino sat up as did Colby in the lawn chair.

"Well what happened?" Ino asked.

"Colby and Suzanna had gotten into a fight one time over something and it was bad. It was a full blown yelling match in the front yard, for the whole neighborhood to see. Then out of the blue Morgan comes flying though and kicks Colby in his family jewels and he goes down in a heartbeat. Morgan then stands over him and yells. 'Don't yell at my sister like that you Meany!'" Jason said laughing. Colby glared at Morgan who only stuck her tongue out at him. Everyone looked when Akamaru started barking. Suzanna went to answer the door.

"Hi. Mr. Yamanaka. Please come in. Ino is in the back yard."

Suzanna walked into the back yard with a blonde haired gentleman who had a long ponytail. Ino's face lit up when she saw the man.

"Daddy!" Ino yelled as she jumped up and tackled her father into a hug.

"Ino! Glad you made it back from your mission alright. Heard you ran into Sasuke and I wanted to make sure you were alright." Inoichi said hugging Ino. The he looked to Tallus, Jason, Jerris, Colby, Jazz, Morgan and Taylor. "You must be part of the new clan who moved to the Leaf Village recently. I am Inoichi Yamanaka, Ino's father." He said sticking out his hand which Tallus shook.

"I'm Tallus Miles, I am Colby father." Tallus said as Colby stood up and walked over to Inoichi.

"And I am Colby." He said as he too shook Inoichi's hand. Inoichi smiled.

"I had heard that Ino had another boy following her around. At first I thought you would be like another Sasuke or Chouji, but I guess you are not." Inoichi said looking at Colby.

"Nope, it's not like me to be a jerk like those guys are." Colby said. "When I fall for a girl, and if she falls for me. I will fight tooth and nail to keep her safe." He then turned to Ino. "I hope I have proven that to you Ino"

Ino smiled and went up to him and wrapped her arms around his neck. "You have more than proven it to me" she smiled as she kissed him.

"So Tallus. I believe we should have father to father conversation seeing as how our kids are now courting each other" Inoichi said. Tallus nodded in agreement.

"Indeed we should. All the better too keep tabs on the youngins." He chuckled as they went into the house and sat at the kitchen table. It wasn't long before laughter started coming from the house.

"Oh the stories they must be sharing in there." Chuckled Jerris. Suzanna and Kiba were snoozing in one lawn chair, Colby and Ino in another. Jazz, Morgan and Taylor had gone to be with the rest of the family. Jason smiled as Jerris looked at him. "What?"

"I don't doubt you ya old fart, but this means we got two families to meet. Ino and her family. Then there is Kiba and his. Also all of their friends, and who knows what skeletons are going to come out of the closet." Jason said.

"Probably won't even happen." Jerris said.

"Oh why is that?" Jason asked as the horn from a locomotive echoed through the village.

"Because we all have to head back to work in two days, and most of our family has already headed back home." Jerris said.

"Yeah, but what about us?" Jason asked. Jerris smiled and put his arm around his nephew.

"We are staying till the end of the week, and helping Colby and his father get settled in.


	8. Chapter 8

Sun was sinking low in the sky as Ino, Colby, Suzanna and Kiba slowly woke up from their mid-day nap. The shade from the trees had kept them out of the sun, and the birds sang as the cry of a whistle echoed through the village. Inoichi and Tallus were still in the kitchen talking about their children and swapping stories as if they were old friends. Colby and Ino were the first ones up and they both had marks on one side of them from the lawn chair. Inoichi and Tallus chuckled as they saw the imprint of the lawn chair on them.

"You two sleep ok?" Tallus said with a grin on his face.

"Yeah, and yes I know the chair left it's mark on us." Colby said as he got two cans of Moxie from the fridge and gave one to Ino. The can popped as he opened it.

"So what you two been talking about?" Colby asked as he sat down next to his father. Ino came up from behind him and place the cold can against the back of his next. He instantly froze up as Ino rolled the cold can down his back.

"Gaahhh! That's cold babe!" Colby cringed as Ino giggled and she sat down next to her father. Tallus and Inoichi both laughed.

"You are gona get it soon enough" Colby said with a grin on his face like he had a plan in his mind.

"Alright Colb no need to scare her away with your craziness." His father joked.

"Dad, she met Uncle Jerris, Jason, George and cousin Denny. Not even they freaked her out. At this point do you really think she is afraid of our craziness?" Colby said.

"Nope not at all, but I am afraid of you leaving me." Ino said as the smile she had went away and she looked down at her drink. Inoichi and Tallus looked at each other knowing what was going through Ino's head. Colby sighed, _'She had to dampen the mood didn't she Shinkasen?'_

Shinkasen's voice echoed through his head. "She loves you Colby and she doesn't want to lose you."

"Why would I leave you? I can't think of a reason why I would leave you. All I got are reasons why I want to be with you, and only you." Colby said trying to cheer up Ino. He swirled his can of Moxie before taking another slip. "Hey take a drink of your soda before it gets warm." He said trying to change the topic of the conversation.

Ino grinned as she opened the orange can and took a sip. At first it tasted ok to her then she swallowed and the bitter after taste kicked in. Ino shuttered and pushed the can away from her. The look on her face made Tallus, Inoichi and Colby laugh. Ino got up and went to the refrigerator and got a can of Root Beer.

"Don't like Moxie?" Colby chuckled as he took another sip. Ino glared at him as she open the can of Root Beer.

"How bad could it be Ino?" Inoichi said as he grabbed the can and took a sip. He looked at the can a moment as the drink went down and the after taste kicked in. He made a face of approval as he nodded. "That's actually pretty good."

"Really Dad? Wow you don't have any taste buds left do you?" Ino said as she downed the can of Root Beer to wash away the taste of the Moxie.

"Well looks like you and Colby have something in common now. Back home, he and a few of his cousins were the only ones in the family who drank the stuff." Tallus chuckled.

"I can see why. That stuff is nasty." Ino said sticking out her tongue and shaking her head.

"Hey Moxie is the nectar of the gods ok. Best stuff in the world" Colby laughed. Ino rolled her eyes and grinned.

"You are nuts." Ino said but Colby shrugged his shoulders as Tallus and Inoichi laughed.

"You are just figuring this out now?" He chuckled. Suzanna and Kiba then came walking in.

"What the hell is that smell?" Kiba said as he made a 'what the?' kind of face. Kiba then saw the cans of Moxie Inoichi and Colby had.

"Not that stuff!" Kiba said as Suzanna rolled her eyes.

"You would have your Moxie bro." Suzanna said rolling her eyes. The she looked to Ino. "You tried it didn't you?"

"Yes and never again am I going to drink that stuff." Ino said as she got up and walked over to Colby and wrapped her arms around his neck and rested her head on his shoulder.

"Yes?" He smiled as he kissed her on the cheek.

"Nothing. Just you will never have me drink that stuff again." She looked at him with a sleepy grin. Suzanna and Kiba laughed as did Tallus and Inoichi.

"Hey Dad I'm going to head to the round house for a bit. You want to come Ino?"

"Can I Daddy?" Ino asked.

"Sure but be home no later than 10:30." Inoichi said. Ino smiled as she went over and hugged her father.

"Ok you let's get going" Colby said as he grabbed his overalls and denim jacket as he and Ino headed for the door.

"Colby." Inoichi called after him.

"Yes sir?" Colby said turning right around.

"I want her home at 10:30. No later it's 8:30 now" Inoichi said giving him a stern look.

"Ok. 10:15 right." Colby said as he and Ino headed out the door. Inoichi, Suzanna, Kiba and Tallus chuckled when the door closed.

"That's my boy. Always getting the girl home early" Tallus said. Inoichi nodded in agreement.

"By the looks of things you have raised him very well. I don't think there will be any issues." Inoichi said.

"Nope, I hope not. Now you young man could learn a thing or two from Colby." He chuckled Suzanna looked at him.

"Really Uncle Tallie? Don't tease Kiba like that." Suzanna said jokingly as she hugged him.

"Well hey, you are more like a daughter than a niece to me"

"I know, but still" Suzanna said.

"Well, I think I should get going and sharpen my kuni" Inoichi chuckled.

"I understand. I've had to clean my gun a few time when Suzanna would introduce Colby and I to a new boy she had met." Tallus chuckled and smiled.

"Well it was nice talking with you Tallus. I have a feeling we will be seeing more of each other. Suzanna, Kiba hope to see you two soon." Inoichi said as he headed for the door and left.

'What do you think Colby and Ino are going to be doing at the round house?' Suzanna asked as she and Kiba sat down at the table.

"Well he will either be giving her the grand tour of the place, or showing her the engine, but probably he will impress her with the tour, and then engine, then have a little romance with her." Tallus said " Typical Colby. Always wants to be around his two loves at the same time."

Colby led Ino through the part of the yard known as the 'Staging Tracks' where locomotives that had just come from the round house were loaded with coal and water for the steam engines and diesel fuel for the diesel locomotives. There were ten separate tracks. Six tracks for steam engines and four tracks for diesels. On track number five sat a small locomotive with one set of wheels up front and three sets of driving wheels and a set of wheels under the firebox (2-6-2). The tender behind it was a small one. It looked old and tired with all the brass covered in soot. The engineer was oiling the running gear and the fireman was loading the tender with water from the water tower.

"Hey Joe what's up?" Colby said as Joe looked up from oiling. Joe was tall and skinny like Colby with short brown hair. The blue overall and denim jacket he wore was almost completely black with coal dust, soot, grease and oil.

"Hey well if it isn't Colby! How you been bud?" Joe asked as he shook Colby hand then slapped him on the shoulder. Ino stood behind Colby.

"I have been good. My Dad and I got our crew based switched here and we have been getting use to the area. What have you and Alex been up to?"

"Oh you know switching cars day in, day out." Alex called down from the top of the tender. He was shorter than Joe and Colby and had red hair with glasses and freckles.

"Still haven't let you two yahoos out of yard limits have they?" Colby joked.

"I think they are afraid to let us go beyond yard limits with this engine. She is an old soldier and has it's personality, but I think she is just about at the point where they are probably going to retire her." Joe said as Alex climbed down from the tender.

"Yeah. As good an engine she maybe she doesn't have the power to put together the bigger trains." Colby said.

"Well I heard you picked up a girl from the Leaf. This must be her." Joe said smiling and he took off his gloves. "I'm Joe. I would shake your hand but think I'm a bit too dirty to do that."

"I'm Ino Yamanaka, and that ok." Ino said with a giggle.

"I'm Alex." Alex said as he did a quick wave with his hand. "You going to show her the round house?"

"Yeah I was and my engine" Colby said as Alex and Joe laughed.

"You mean your father's engine." Joe chuckled.

"That engine will be my engine one of these days." Colby said with a bit of pride poking through.

"I don't doubt that just it's not going to happen anytime soon." Joe said.

"Alright I better get to showing her the round house. I got to have her home by 10:15. C-ya guys later" Colby said as he and Ino headed for the round house.

"Take care Colby!" Joe shouted after them.

The round house was a massive structure made of steel and concrete and true to it's name it was round. With forty separate stalls for locomotives. There was a turntable at the center which allowed locomotives to be rotated and switched from their stall onto a track that lead from the turntable to the staging area. All the stalls had large wood doors and were numbered from one to forty. The round house was painted with a two tone green paint scheme. A leaf green for the building, and a Neon green for the trim work.

"This place is huge!" Ino said as they started walking in front of the stall doors.

"It has to be for the locomotives we keep inside. Now here we are stall 10." Colby said as he opened on of the large doors. Ino smiled a little as she looked at the number 10 painted in white on the door that was still closed as a tear formed in her eye as the memory of her old team and teacher came back to her. The door creeked and groaned as Colby propped it open as was about to open the other door when the distant look in Ino's eyes caught his attention.

"Hey. You ok?" He asked as he saw a tear roll down her cheek.

"Yeah, I'm fine it's just old memories coming back." Ino trying to smile as her voice got shaky with emotion. Colby opened the other door as the orange light from the sun set lite up the engine as it sat quietly facing Ino and Colby.

"I know what happened to Asuma, if that is who you are thinking about." Colby said as he walked over to her and hugged her. "Want to watch the sun set?"

"Yeah" Ino said as she wiped the tears from her eyes. Colby wrapped his arm around her as they walked towards the engine. Colby climbed on the pilot of the engine and as he stood up he banged his head on the bottom of the headlight.

"Ow!" he said rubbing his head as Ino giggled.

"You ok?" Ino said trying to hide her smile.

"Yeah I'm fine. Uh? Hey what you laughing at silly girl" Colby said as he held out his hand to Ino.

"Oh just this silly boy I have in front of me" Ino giggled as she grabbed Colby's hand and he pulled her up onto the pilot and into him. Her face came right up to his as he wrapped his arms around her hips. She wrapped her arms around his neck. In the glowing light of the setting sun, he smiled as he press his lips to hers. Ino closed her eyes and melted into the kiss.

"_A hopeless romantic when it comes to pick spots to kiss Ino aint you?"_ _Shinkasen's_ voice echoed in his head as the ringing bell of a Joe and Alex's engine sang through air as they and their engine left for the yard.

"_Hey there is nothing wrong with this spot."_ Colby thought back.

Shinkasen only laughed as Colby focused back on Ino. He broke off the kiss with her as he brushed back her bangs. Her skin glowed with the light from the fading sun.

"Every time" He chuckled as he felt himself being lost in her blue eyes.

"Every time what?' she asked.

"Every time I look into your eyes I get lost in them" He said.

"You are so sweet Colby" Ino smiled and blushed a little.

"You want to see the rest of the engine or do you want to finish watching the sun set?" He asked.

"We will have plenty of sunset's together but this one is special." Ino said as she sat down. Colby smiled as he got down and climbed into the cab and got a kerosene lantern. He sat down next to Ino on the pilot and lit the lantern. The flame glowed as the sun dipped behind the roof of the round house and the shadows crept in. Colby took out his pocket watch and looked at it.

9:00

"We got just over an hour before I got to get you home" Colby said.

"I wish we had longer." Ino said as she snuggled up to him. The lift from the lantern cast a soft glow as the flame danced on the wick. Colby adjusted the wick and dimmed the lantern.

"Why you dim it?" Ino asked.

"If I have the flame too high in the lantern it will smoke up the glass." Colby said "Oh hey I got something for you" and he took off and headed for the cab.

"Uh ok?" Ino questioned. "_What could he possibly have for me in that dirty cab?"_ She thought as Colby came back with a large plastic bag that had something init.

"What is it?" Ino asked as he handed the bag to her.

"A little something I got from my village before my dad and I came here. I hope you like it." Colby grinned. Ino opened the bag inside was a clear plastic case. She opened the case and inside was a blue fuzzy blanket. Ino stood up and shook it out to see how big it was. Even with it her arms stretched out there was still some blanket left on either end. She gathered it all up and smelled it. It smelled like fire and grease but to her that was ok because it's what Colby smelled like. She cuddled with it as the last of the sun's light faded into night and a cool summer breeze kicked up.

"I love it Colby" Ino said tackling him into a hug.

"I'm glad you like it. Now we got to get going before your dad gets pissed." Colby said standing up and turning up the wick on the lantern. The sun had fully set and the moon glowed in the night sky.

The headlights of locomotives gleamed in the darkness as the engines slowly made their way towards the round house as Colby and Ino left it. The lantern lit their way until they made it to town. The village was lively with the start of the weekend as Colby and Ino walked through the part of town with all the Bars and Brew Pubs.

"You always take this way home" Colby asked as a drunken fight started up outside one of the bars.

"No but it's the fastest way home. I make it a point to avoid this part of the village at night." Ino said as she walked closer to Colby.

"Don't worry I'll keep the drunks away from you." He smiled and wrapped his arm around Ino as she smiled.

They made their way through the bar side of town as they passed the Rail Spike Tavern.

"Hey Suzanna works here. I wonder if she is working tonight?" Ino said.

"Maybe but we can't stop for long we still need to get you home" Colby said flatly.

"_I got an uneasy feeling Shinkasen." _Colby thought to his demon partner.

"_Don't go in. There is trouble inside." _Shinkasen warned.

"Hey Ino, maybe some other time we will stop in and see if Suzanna is working." Colby said trying to get Ino home.

"Oh come on. It will be quick." Ino said.

"_Don't go in Colby" _Shinkasen echoed in his head.

"No Ino. We don't have the time to, now come on and let's go" Colby was starting to get frustrated with Ino's persistence.

"Too bad I'm going in." Ino said defiantly as she walked into the tavern.

"Fuck my life, we are going to be late." He said to himself.

"_Indeed, Sasuke and Chouji are inside." _Shinkasen said. Colby eyes nearly popped out of his head in surprise as he darted into the tavern after Ino.

"Brat" He muttered to himself and Shinkasen.

" _Sasuke is at your 3 and Chouji is at your 12. Ino is at your 2o'clock."_ Shinkasen gave Colby the heads up.

"Thanks now be ready I may need to go demon possibly, if things get out of hand. Actually maybe I won't need to go demon. I got plenty of backup here." Colby grinned as he saw a lot of guys he knew from the railroad at the bar talking with Suzanna.

"_Suzanna is working the bar tonight I'll give her and Rensha the head up" _Shinkasen said.

"Right, so the plan is. Get Ino, meet with Suzanna and get out."

"_You got it."_

The tavern was crowded and smoky as people drank, smoked and sang out of tune with the jukebox playing in the corner. Sasuke and Chouji were drinking at seprate booths and Chouji had a table full of food before him. Colby eyed them as he made his way to the bar.

"Hey Suzanna!" He shouted to get her attention. Suzanna looked at him as did the rest of the railroad crew. They cheered as they all lifted their glasses as Suzanna walked over to him. Sasuke and Chouji looked up from their drinks and spotted Colby instantly. They hadn't yet noticed Ino sitting at a both talking with Sakura.

"Hey Colby what are you doing here. Shouldn't you be getting Ino home?" Suzanna said as she poured him a shot of Jack Daniels.

"Ino wanted to stop in and see you for a bit, but I'm sure you already know. Also can you hang on to this for me?" He blew the lantern out and placed it on the bar.

"Yeah Rensha told me. Yes bro I'll bring it back to the house and you may need this." Suzanna grinned as she pushed the drink towards him.

"Heh. Not right now. Afterwards I will though and sorry if shit hits the fan." He smiled and got up and started walking towards Ino and Sakura.

"You guys are gonna help him out if he needs it right?" Suzanna asked the crew of railroaders in front of her.

"We have known you and Colby since you were nothing but little tikes. Of course we are going to help him out." One of them spoke up, with that the rest of them raised their glasses as Suzanna poured them all another round.

Colby walked past Chouji without looking at him and walked over to where Ino and Sakura were sitting.

"Mind if I have a seat?" He asked.

"Sure babe." Ino said as she moved over and Colby sat down next to her

"Sasuke and Chouji are here if you didn't notice. We really need to get going before something starts." Colby looked at her with an urgent look on his face.

"They are?" Ino asked then she spotted Chouji then Sasuke. "Great. Alright let's get out of here. Bye Sakura see you later."

"Cya Ino" Sakura said.

Colby and Ino got up and walked to the bar. Chouji and Sasuke also got up and followed them.

"Things are going to get busy Ino." Colby said.

"Let's get out of here." She said nervously

"Too late for that should have listened when I told you not to go in here in the first place" Colby said as he sat down at the bar. "Have a seat let me take care of the crowns." Ino sat down next to him.

"Hey Ino!" Suzanna said as she came to their end of the bar.

"Oh hey Suzanna" Ino said as she looked over her shoulder nervously and saw Sasuke and Chouji standing behind them. The crew of railroaders quieted down knowing things were about to get rough.

"Hey Ino, what are you doing in a place like this? Are you trying to wash that loser railroad kid's memory away? I can help you if you are." Sasuke said as Colby turned around.

"I hope you know I'm sitting right here." Colby bluntly said.

"Buzz off train boy, you are out of your league." Sasukes cool voice put a hush over the tavern. Ev en the jukebox stopped playing.

"Come on Ino let's get you home and away from these pecker heads" Colby said as he and Ino stood up and started to walked towards the door. A bunch on the railroaders started laughing at Colby's comment.

"Hey buddy I was trying to talk to her." Sasuke said as he grabbed Colby by the shoulder. Colby spun around and clocked Sasuke in the face with a punch sending him sprawling into Chouji. Chouji threw Sasuke off of him and went after Colby. He dodged the first punch and launched his knee into Chouji's gut making Chouji lose his dinner. Sasuke got back up and drew his sword as blue sparks came sparking off of the blade.

"Oh shit, Shinkasen I don't have any weapons on me." Colby said.

"_Demon Now!" _Shinkasen voice rang through him head. Colby instantly made hand signs.

"Demon Jutsu. Demon Form!" Colby shouted.

"Alright guys let's help him out!" One of the railroaders shouted, with a cheer and a last swing of their drinks the dozen or so railroaders lept after Sasuke and Chouji. The two of them were given the beat down of their lives. Colby got into it and landed a barrage of punches on Chouji and Sasuke as empty beer bottles started flying through the air. A few got smashed into pieces as they exploded against Sasuke's and Chouji's heads. As the all-out balls to the wall, down and dirty bar fight raged on. In the chaos and confusion Colby grabbed Ino and darted for the door.

"You ok?" He asked Ino and she stood there shaking a little. She looked at him, his dirty blue overalls and denim jacket had changed into the black camo uniform with the white V on his chest. She hadn't notice but his brown eyes and changed to black.

"Yeah, I'm fine just a little shaky."

"Come, let's get you know. Lord knows you father is already having a fit." His face was full of concern as his demon form faded.

Inoichi was sitting on the front porch sharpening a kuni as Ino and Colby came walking up the path to the house.

"You two reek of booze. Where have you been?" Inoichi said as he looked at the two of them. Ino stared down at the ground but Colby returned his gaze.

"Ino wanted to stop and say Hi to Suzanna while she was at work. It took longer than expected because Sasuke and Chouji were there and they started things up with us." Colby explained as he looked at the clock hanging behind Inouchi. It was 11 o'clock. Half an hour late.

"Young lady get going to your room" Inoichi said obvlously not impressed.

"Yes father. Good Night Colby." Ino said as she kissed him while holding the blanket he gave her.

"Good Night Ino. I love you." He said.

"I love you too" She replied before going inside and closing the door.

"So Sasuke and Chouji were there? What happened?" Inoichi calmly inquired. Colby was surprised at how his mood and changed.

"Sasuke and Chouji tried to get Ino. However a few of my railroad buddies were there and they helped me out when Sasuke tried to pull his sword and that blue lightning jutsu of his, whatever the hell they call it."

"I see. Hmm. I'll talk with Chouji's father" Inoichi said.

"Ok. Cause me having to give them beat downs each time I see them is getting old." Colby yawned.

"Alright you better head home. You will see Ino tomorrow" Inoichi said.

"Ok. Night Mr. Yamanaka" Colby said and headed home for the night.


	9. Chapter 9

I don't own anything but me, myself and I.

The morning sun came creeping above the horizon and Ino reluctantly started to wake up to the smell of fire, oil, grease and coal. As she cuddled with the fuzzy blanket Colby had given her last night and tried to hang onto a dream of her railroad boy.

"I wish I could wake up to seeing him every morning" she said quietly as she yawned and hugged the blanket tighter. As her clock hit 8am there was a knock at her door then it opened as her father poked his head in.

"Wake up sleepy head. Colby is here." Iniochi sang, or more like tried to sing, Ino shot up and out of bed and started to get dressed. She grabbed her favorite pair of jeans and a purple t-shirt and a pair of sneakers and booked it out of her room and down the hallway to the living room where Colby was waiting on the couch. She tackled him and knocked him over on the couch and ended up on top of him. She didn't waste any time to lay on top of him and cuddle up to him with her head on his chest.

"Well that didn't take you long to get up and dressed." Iniochi chuckled.

"Good morning to you too sleepy head. You ready?" Colby asked.

"No... I just wanna stay here and have you as my pillow." Ino said still half asleep, Iniochi and Colby laughed. "Why did you come so early, you goober?"

"Because I thought you would be up and bright eyed and bushy tailed, but I guess that aint the case with you and mornings hahaha. You want breakfast or not?" Colby said. Ino was listening to his heart beat as the rhythm of it rocked her back to sleep. "Well, I guess that answers that."

"She fall back asleep?" Inoichi asked.

"Yeah I think she did." Colby said.

"She would too, I'll make breakfast for you two. Eggs and bacon work?" Inoichi asked.

"Yes sir, that sounds good." Colby said.

When Inoichi finished making breakfast he brought it over to Colby who still had Ino sleeping on him.

"Ino wake up... Inooo wake uuupp!" Colby said trying to move the arm Ino was lying on top of. It had gone numb on him and it was tingling and it felt like there were thousands of little needles being poked into his arm with each twitch of a muscle. Ino yawned then slowly opened her eyes. The smell of fresh eggs and bacon wafted through the air to Ino. Her eyes opened as she smelled the food, but when she tried to reach for a piece of bacon Colby moved the plate away out of her reach.

"Hey you ass, let me have some!" Ino wined.

"Get off my arm and you will get some. I can't feel it anymore." Colby said as he placed the plate on the coffee table. Ino glared at him before surprising him with a kiss as she crawled over him and snatched a piece of bacon from the plate then went back to cuddling up to him. Colby moved his arm before she could lay back on it. Just then there was a knock at the door.

"I'll get it." Inoichi said. Ino looked up and Colby turned his head so he could see the door. He didn't like the feeling he was getting as Inoichi opened the door, and Ino could sense him tense up.

"Hey." Ino said. Colby turned his head towards Ino. "Relax it's probably Suzanna and Kiba coming by to visit." Ino touched his face and felt him relax at her touch. She smiled as she kissed him and felt him relax a bit more. "You have been on edge last few days. What's up?"

"It's nothing just, worried I may lose you, and Sasuke and Chouji don't give up do they?" Colby said.

"Ah! Suzanna, Kiba, nice to see you again. Please come on in." Inoichi said as Suzanna and Kiba walked in.

"You don't need to worry about them. I'm yours." Ino said as she cuddled up close to him.

"You don't need to worry about losing Ino to anyone. You are the only one in this town that she loves that isn't family." Suzanna said, Colby chuckled as Suzanna and Kiba sat in the couch across from Ino and Colby.

"You and your sensitive hearing." Colby chuckled.

"She is right, you know." Inoichi said as he sat down in his recliner. "You are the only guy I have seen make Ino as happy as she is now."

Colby could only smile and blush as Ino kissed him on the cheek. Ino sat up as did Colby as Inoichi cleared his throat and gave Ino a stern look.

"So what are you guys here for?" Colby asked.

"What are you doing today?" Suzanna asked.

"Didn't have much in mind. Why?" Colby asked as Ino and Suzanna giggled and Kiba just grinned.

"Are you up for a day out on the town?" Ino asked.

"As long as I am with you I'll do anything with you." Colby said.

"ANYTHING?" Ino asked as she flashed her blue eyes at him. Suzanna flashed her eyes at Kiba.

"Yes anything." Colby said.

"YAY! Suzanna you got the list?" Ino cheered.

"You know it girl. You want to hit up the mall or the beauty salon first? Or do we want to get Ten Ten, Sakura, Hinata and Temari?" Suzanna said.

"Wait what?" Colby said completely lost at what was going on. Kiba and Inoichi laughed.

"Come on let's get going!" Ino and Suzanna said together as Ino grabbed Colby and Suzanna grabbed Kiba and hauled them out the door.

"Have fun kids!" Inoichi called after them as the group went out the door. "Young love is such a beautiful thing." He chuckled to himself when the door closed.

"The girls going to meet us at Inchi-Ramen?" Ino asked.

"Yeap, they should be there now." Suzanna answered as the group saw the sign for the ramen stand come into view.

"Say, Naruto and Hinata going out yet?" Kiba asked.

"I have no clue, last I knew Naruto still had a thing for Ino but I think Colby has clearly claimed Ino has his girl now so we should see how this goes." Suzanna said as she glanced back at her cousin and laughed when she saw the look on his face as Ino was going off about going to the mall and hanging with the girls. As Ino finished talking Suzanna heard Colby say; "So what happened to me and you laying on the couch and me being your pillow for the day?"

"That will be for later tonight, you have enough energy left after today." Ino said seductively.

"Oh I see. Your dad won't mind if you stay with me tonight?" Colby asked.

"We will have to ask but I don't see why not." Ino said.

"What are you two love birds planning back there?" Kiba said with a chuckle as they walked into Inchi-Ramen.

Colby POV.

"What are you two love birds planning back there?" Kiba hollered back at Ino and me as we walked into the ramen stand. He had a smirk on his face like he knew what was going on.

"Nothing you and Suzanna haven't done yet." I say. Ino and Suzanna give me both of their death glares. I don't think that was the right choice of words as I find myself the center of attention in the Ramen stand. Talk about an awkward moment as the place went quiet.

"Umm, what were we talking about?" I ask as I sit down at the counter. Ino sits down next to me and slaps me in the head. Hard. "Yeah, I may have deserved that one."

"Yes, you did." Ino says.

Normal POV.

"Hey Suzanna, Kiba, Ino. What can I get for you today?" The owner asked.

"The usual for Kiba and I." Suzanna said.

"I'll have the BBQ pork ramen." Ino said.

"You must be new to the Leaf. You work for the railroad?" The owner asked Colby.

"I am and yes I do. How could you tell?"

"Not to be rude, but you smell like fire and oil. Also your hands they have a weathered and worn look to them. This only comes from constant hard work." The owner said. "So what can I get you?"

"I'm all set for right now, but a glass of water sounds good." Colby said.

"Alright then" The owner said as he turned around and fixed up Ino, Suzanna and Kiba's meals.

"Naruto comes here right about now doesn't he?" Kiba asked the owner.

"Yes he does." The owner said no sooner had he finished his sentence than Naruto walked in and sat down as the far end of the counter.

"Hey guys. Hi Ino." Naruto said, Colby glance over at Naruto as he took a sip from his glass of water.

"Hey Naruto." Ino said. Colby gave Ino a hard questioning look.

"Don't start anything with him. You already kicked his ass once." She whispered to Colby.

"I won't but he starts anything. I'll finish it."

"No you won't finish anything." Suddenly Colby felt Ino's firm grip on his crotch. "You won't get into any fights today or you lose these."

"Yes dear." Colby said in a quiet voice. "Can you let go now?" Ino let got and Colby breathed a sigh of relief as Suzanna and Kiba chuckled quietly to them.

"Hey when are your friends supposed to get here?" Colby asked.

"INO! SUZANNA! Bout time we lined up some girl time!" A voice came from behind them. Ino and Suzanna turned around and half tackled half hugged a girl with pink hair and green eyes. Colby recognized her as one of the Ninja's that tried to race the train to the Leaf Village the first day he came to the Leaf.

"SAKURA!"

"Hey don't forget about us!" another girl said as three more came walking in. One girl was taller than the rest and had two buns in her hair. Behind here was a shorter girl with straight black hair with hollow looking eyes that were a solid grey color. The fourth girl had blonde hair that was in four short pony tails and had a large fan on her back.

"Ten Ten! Hinata! Temari! It's great to see you again!" Ino said.

"So, Ino. I hear you finally have a boyfriend now." Temari said with a grin. Ino smiled as Colby wrapped his arm around her.

"Yeap I do! Girls this is Colby. Colby this is Sakura, Ten Ten, Hinata and Temari"

"Hello." Colby said. The girls smiled as each of them said hello.

"Alright girls let's get rolling." Suzanna said as she finished her meal. Ino quickly downed what was left of hers and the group got up to leave. Ino and Colby were the last ones to get up and just as they were about to leave, Naruto spoke up from his quiet corner of the ramen stand.

"Hey Ino, you are looking good today." Naruto said casually, but Colby saw a look of want in Naruto's eyes. He knew that Naruto still wanted Ino but it was clear to him that Naruto wasn't trying to take her away from him. Colby relaxed a little bit but still didn't like what he saw in Naruto's eyes.

"Thanks Naruto." Ino said with a smile as she and Colby left the ramen stand.

Suzanna, Ino, Ten Ten, Sakura, Temari, and Hinata were in a group with Colby and Kiba following them. It was a nice day out and it had been 2 weeks since Colby had first arrived in the Leaf village. He longed to be riding high in the cab of his father's engine with the engine singing out the song of the rails, but he also wanted to be with Ino as much as he could. He was lost in his thoughts when Kiba nudged him.

"Hey you ok?" Kiba asked.

"Uh? Oh, yeah I am just thinking about stuff." Colby said.

"Like what?" Kiba asked.

"I got two weeks left of my leave before I have to go back to work. When that happens I won't be around much. Just thinking how it will work with me and Ino." Colby said honestly.

"It will. Don't let it get to you. Think of it as an extended mission with occasional visits to home to report in." Kiba said but Colby wasn't paying attention to Kiba, his attention was squarely focused on Ino.

"Hey Ino." Colby called out to her.

"Yeah?" Ino replied as she let Colby catch up to her.

"Been thinking a bit, and you know I only got two more weeks of my leave left. I got to go back to work soon." Colby said in a mellow tone.

"We will work it out. It will be harder I bet but we will make it work." Ino said then she grabbed his arm and kissed him. "I love you and always will." Everyone watched as Ino kissed him again and watched him give into it.

"You guys keep going we will meet up with you in a bit." Ino said then she turned to Colby. "You miss it bad don't you?"

"Yeah I do." He said as he sat down on a nearby bench. Ino sat down next to him. "I feel so out of place being away from the rails for so long."

"It's alright. I know you are getting antsy but you still got to enjoy time with me you know!" Ino said as she playfully punched him in the arm.

"You still up for spending the night with me?" Colby asked.

"Yes, I am. As long as you can handle me." Ino giggled. Colby laughed at this, he hadn't expected to hear that but he got his 'yes' so he was happy. A whistle chimed from the yard as a train got ready to depart.

"I can handle you easy. Now let's get going. I bet the others are wondering what's taking us."

"Sure you can..." Ino said sarcastically as she rolled her eyes. As they walked to the shops where Kiba, Suzanna, Sakura, Hinata, Temari and Ten Ten were shopping at, Colby saw a lot of guys he knew from the railroad, most of them could remember when he was nothing but a little kid watching his father take his train out of town. Ino and Colby held hands as they walked, they both got a lot of looks from people Ino knew and people Colby knew. The two of them laughed at the thought of how fast word would spread if it hadn't already.

The crews from the railroad that walked by Colby and Ino all nodded their heads and had a look on their faces as if to say "Everyone if going to know about this." Ino could see the rest of the group up ahead of them and was about to run up to them when a track works crew stopped to talk with Colby. There were four very capable look guys in the group and one of them was Colby's cousin, Denny. All of them looked like they were twice the size of Colby. Ino thought they made Chouji look a little child.

"Fifty-seven men on the hardest mile" Colby called out to the track crew as they walked over to him.

"Murdered for their troubles, left to die" Denny sang back to him.

"Immigrant sons from Donegal, Tyrone & Derry" Colby sang back.

"Their numbers were few but they did the job of many" The crew of four sang together. People around them looked at them like they had three heads but the few railroaders that heard them just smiled.

"Scott, Stephen, Dakota, and finally me dear cousin Denny." Colby said.

"Colby and his lovely girlfriend Ino, how are you guys doing?" Denny asked as he shook Colby's hand and gave him a hug and then hugged Ino. Ino blushed at the compliment.

"Pretty good cuz. What are you guys doing in town?" Colby asked.

"Prepping for a major track over haul on the main line and the yard." Denny said. "Well we got a lot ahead of us see you around Colby. Cya Ino!"

Colby and Ino caught up with Kiba, Suzanna, Ten Ten, Sakura, Temari, and Hinata as they were leaving a clothes shop.

"Hey Suz. You buy more camo?" Colby teased with a grin.

"Maybe…" Suzanna said in her innocent sister voice and grinned. Colby and Ino laughed. It was just like Suzanna to find camo in any store, no matter how high strung or fancy the store was. Everyone laughed as the echoes of trains in the yard wafted through the air. However nobody had noticed Sasuke walking up to them. It wasn't until Sasuke was right behind Ino that Suzanna noticed him.

"Hey Ino.", Sasuke said is his usually calm and cold voice. Ino jumped as did everyone else in surprise. "You want to come to lunch with me?" Sasuke grabbed Ino's hand and started to pull her away from the group. Colby was not going to have any of that.

"Hey asshole let go of my girl." Colby said as he punched Sasuke in the face. Sasuke was sent reeling from the punch and let go of Ino's hand. Ino darted behind Suzanna and Kiba in sock as Sasuke came back with a punch but Colby grabbed his fist and stopped it cold.

"The hell you thinking trying pull a move like that? Stay away from Ino, now beat it!" Colby said trying to restrain himself from launching right at Sasuke. Sasuke only laughed as he pulled his fist away from Colby .

"She will be mine! One way or another, I will have her." Sasuke said with a creepy pedophile smile on his face. Ino stayed behind Suzanna and Kiba as things got heated between Colby and Sasuke.

"You will never have her. Not even over my cold, dead body. A guy like you does not deserve a girl like her. You are out of your league boy, turn around and go home before you get hurt." Colby said.

"Your cold, dead body I will gladly step on to get her." Sasuke said as blue sparks streaked off his hand.

"I'd be glad to stomp your ass if that is what you want." A dragon of water rose out of the ground behind Colby.

"Then Let us begin." Sasuke said as he charged at Colby. The water dragon shot towards Sasuke like grease lighting as Sasuke sent his lighting blade through the water dragon and closed the gap between him and Colby. Suzanna, Kiba, Ten Ten, Sakura, Hinata, Temari and Ino watched them is disbelief.

Colby just stood there and Sasuke came right up to him but at the last second he sent his foot with his steel toe boots right into Sasuke's crotch stopping him instantly and dropping him to the ground. A round house kick then came flying in from the side and connected with Sasuke's jaw shattering it. Sasuke's mouth hung open loosely as blood dripped from it. Colby's boot then came flying into Sasuke's gut and the sickening sound of cracking of ribs was heard. Everyone flinched at the sound as Sasuke doubled over and then vanished in a cloud of smoke.

"That cheap bastard." Colby muttered as the smoke cleared Sasuke was behind him with his sword drawn. His mouth still loosely hanging open.

"Colby!" Ino yelled as Sasuke drove his sword into Colby but it turned out to be a shadow clone as Colby appeared next to Ino.

"You called?" he grinned as he gave Ino a quick kiss. Ino didn't know whether to blush or smack him for fighting Sasuke again but before she could make up her mind Colby darted back after Sasuke. Sasuke was ready and waiting as the two of them went at each other. Sasuke and Colby were locked in close combat and neither of them gave the other a chance to use any of their jutsu. It was a knock out, drag out brawl. Colby was getting the better of Sasuke and it was taking its toll on both of them.

Blood was dripping down Sasuke's face and from his mouth. One of his eyes was swollen shut, and his left hand was bent at an odd angle from being dislocated at the wrist. Colby on the other hand was guarding a dislocated shoulder and a broken arm as blood dripped from his mouth and cuts on his hands and arms. The two of them stared each other down trying to figure out the other's next move.

"_Not this fight Colby. You don't need to go demon." _Shinkasen's voice rang through his head. "_Back out and let Suzanna handle it from here."_

"_What? No! I will not back out now."_ Colby thought as Ino came running over to him.

"Colby you need to stop fighting now!" Ino said in a commanding voice with a death glare in her eye. A quick flash back of Ino having a firm grip of his nuts crossed his mind and decided it would be a smart thing to let this one go.

"_Do it Colby, back out" _Shinkasen said. Colby it was no use trying to argue against Ino let alone having to go against Ino AND Shinkasen.

"Alright." Colby said reluctantly as he turned his back to Sasuke and started to walk over to a bench to sit down. Suddenly a blue light illuminated the area and blue sparks started to chirp and dance along the ground as Sasuke charged at Colby. In a flash, Suzanna was there and sent Sasuke skidding backwards in a wooden bench that exploded into splinters.

"Alright Sasuke time for you to get lost" Suzanna said as she glared at Sasuke with Akamaru at her side.

"What the hell Suzanna! I was going to end this fight for good!" Sasuke yelled as he got up and tried to attack Suzanna but a wall of ice rose but between them and Sasuke was stopped cold. Suzanna looked back at Colby and saw him holding a hand sign.

"WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON HERE!" The voice of an extremely pissed off Tsunade came thundering through the air. Everyone turned and looked at her.

"We are fucked" Colby said quietly to Ino and she nodded in agreement.


	10. Chapter 10

I don't own anything. Except me.

"WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON HERE!" The voice of an extremely pissed off Tsunade came thundering through the air. Everyone turned and looked at her.

"L-Lady Tsunade." Ino stuttered in surprise. Akamaru hid behind Kiba and wined. Suzanna and Kiba both walked over to Colby as he popped his shoulder back in and the sickening pop turned everyone's attention to him.

"Can I help you Lady Tsunade?" Colby asked with a nervous grin.

"What the hell happened here?" Tsunade demanded as she looked at Sasuke as he tried to speak but his words were too garbled to be understood. "You two at it again? Damn it all! I want to see you four in my office at once. As for you Sasuke get your ass to the hospital and stay out of my sight." With that Tsunade walked up to Colby and had her face right up in his. Colby was about ready to crap his pants not knowing what Tsunade was going to do next. "Next time take it to the training grounds and keep your fights outside of village area. This is your first warning. I have to do this again you are good as dead." Tsunade said glaring at him.

Colby was dumb founded at her words. "Y-Yes Ma-am." He managed to get out.

"You are dead." Ino said to him as she gave him her death glare. "I told you not to get into any fights today but looked what happened!"

"Ino now is not the time to start up with that. We have to go see Tsunade." Suzanna said as she helped Colby to his feet. Ino pouted then turned around on her heel and stared to follow Tsunade to her office. Colby sighed as a thought crossed his mind.

"_Shinkasen I need to get out on the rails."_ Colby thought as Suzanna, Kiba and himself followed Ino.

"_I know you do, but I got a feeling we may be heading home."_ Shinkasen said.

"_Quit messing with me."_ Colby thought.

"Hey you alright? What's going on inside that thick head of yours?" Suzanna asked. Colby looked up at her then looked towards Ino.

"Did I win?" He asked. Suzanna and Kiba laughed, Ino looked back and caught Colby looking at her, the expression on his face showed her that he knew he had let her down. Ino still glared at him before turning around.

The group walked into Lady Tsunade's office and stood before her. Suzanna had made a sling for Colby's arm and had put a temporary splint on it.

"I'm sending you four out on a mission starting tomorrow. You are heading to the Village of the Rails to tie up loose ends from Lady Whittum. There are still mercenary ninja in the village and the leaders have asked us to help them and specifically requested that you two (pointing to Colby and Suzanna) be a part of the mission. I'm also sending Naruto and Sakura with you on this mission."

"Wait what! The Village of the Rails! Really! SWEET!" Colby said excitedly. Suzanna smiled at his excitement to be heading back home and she was too though just not as enthusiastic as Colby. Ino and Kiba just nodded and laughed at Colby's excitement.

"Well I know that if any missions to the Rail village come up I know who to send." Tsunade chuckled. "Meet at the station at 0900 tomorrow morning, and Colby until then you are to stay home. Got it?"

"Yes." Colby said.

"Lady Tsunade, why are you sending Naruto and Sakura on this mission as well?" Kiba asked "Us four can handle a mission like this very easily."

"They are going because this mission is expected to take a while and from what reports I have received this mission will actually be quite difficult. That is why they are going." Tsunade said. "Any more questions?" The group shook their heads and Tsunade nodded for them to leave. After bowing the group left her office.

Out in the hallway Suzanna, Kiba, Ino and Colby meet up with Naruto and Sakura. Neither Naruto nor Colby were paying attention to where they were going as both of them were talking. Naruto and Colby then turned at the same time and collided head on. Pain went screaming through Colby's arm and Naruto shot back holding his nose as blood started to drip from it.

"Hey watch where you are going tra…." Naruto stopped short of saying train boy as he saw Ino glaring at him from behind Colby. Suzanna and Sakura both got between the two boys.

"Watch out next time." Colby said coldly as he walked past Naruto and down the stairs.

"I have to go on a mission with him? What the hell?" Naruto complained.

"Shut up Naruto or I will make you shut up." Sakura said. "Hey Ino, tell Colby that Naruto is sorry for bumping into him."

"Sure thing Sakura. I can't wait to be on a mission with you again." Ino said with a smile.

"Cya Naruto" Kiba said.

"Cya Kiba." Naruto said.

Ino, Suzanna, Kiba and Colby walked back to Suzanna's place. Tallus and Mike were in the kitchen having coffee when the group came walking in.

"Hey Uncle Tallie, guess where we are going tomorrow for a mission." Suzanna said excitedly as Colby and Ino sat on the couch and Kiba sat down next to Mike.

"Where are you kids off to tomorrow?" Tallus asked a bit confused.

"Home." Colby said with a grin. Tallus and Mike looked at him surprised.

"Home? You mean the Rail Village?" Tallus asked. Colby and Suzanna nodded. Ino started to use her medical ninjutsu on Colby's arm. As her hand glowed green Mike looked over and raised an eye brow at him.

"The hell happened to you? Ino break your arm or something?" Mike joked. Everyone chuckled as Ino finished up. The blaring of a diesel engine rolling through town echoed through the air.

"Yes that is exactly what happened. Cute girl walked by and she broke my arm for looking at her." Colby joked back with a laugh.

"I would have done more than broken your arm." Ino said with an evil grin.

"50 lashes with the wip? I hear Colby likes that kind of stuff." Mike said then burst out laughing. Colby and Ino's jaws dropped open Suzanna and Kiba started laughing as did Tallus.

"Wow, that was a good one Mike I must say." Colby said "But no. Sasuke started crap with me again and we had a pretty decent fight."

"It looks it. So about your mission if you guys are going to the Rail Village I got something for you, Suzanna, Kiba and Ino." Tallus said as he got up and went down the hallway then shortly came back holding three grey hooded sweatshirts and gave one to each of them. On the back was an emblem of a set of railroad tracks running vertically with a yellow circle around them. "The emblem is our family crest. I hope you guys wear them on your mission seeing as how you are going into Miles territory." Colby and Suzanna put their sweatshirts on right away and smiled as they looked each other over.

"Thanks Dad!" Colby said as he gave his father a one arm hug being careful of his injured arm.

"Thanks Uncle Tallie!" Suzanna said hugging Tallus.

"Thank you" Kiba and Ino said as Kiba put his on but Ino hesitantly looked at Tallus then back to the sweatshirt.

"What's wrong? It doesn't fit?" Tallus asked.

"No. It fits it's just that I'm not really a part of your family." Ino said, Colby chuckled and Tallus smiled.

"Of course you are! You have already met the entire family and they all love you Ino. Granted you are not 'offically' a Miles but right now you are close enough which is good enough for us." Colby said as he sat down next to Ino. Ino smiled as she put the sweatshirt on. "Maybe this will keep all of the boys away from you now." Colby chuckled.

"I hope so. You constantly fighting Sasuke and Chouji is getting old."

"Yeah it is."

"_Hey just as an FYI your arm is fixed but it will take the night to get back to 100%. Also I am digging the sweat shirt. Badass it is" _Shinkasen said.

"Thanks bud." Colby said as he started to undo the bandages on his arm.

"What are you doing!" Ino asked in protest as Colby finished taking the sling off of him.

"Shinkasen says my arm is fixed and Dad, he thinks the sweatshirts are badass." Colby grinned.

"That's nice of him." Tallus said as he looked at the clock. "Well if you guys have a mission tomorrow better start getting ready for it now and bed early for all of you." The four of them nodded. Kiba and Suzanna went to their room to start packing Colby and Ino went out to the back yard to sort through their gear and enjoy the last few hours of daylight.

Kiba and Suzanna were going through their gear. Checking everything they had. Suzanna took out an old uniform from the back of her closet. It was an old camo uniform with the family emblem on it.

"You going to wear that?" Kiba asked.

"The pants if they still fit me but I'll wear the sweatshirt with it." Suzanna said. "You going to wear your sweatshirt?"

"Yes I am going to wear my sweatshirt." Kiba said "Though it looks really good on you Angel." Kiba said sweetly. Suzanna just smiled and finished packing.

"I'm all set. Are you?" Colby asked as Ino was counting her kuni. She looked up slightly annoyed.

"I was till you made me lose track." Ino scowled. Colby chuckled as he watched the headlights of locomotives in the yard gleam in the setting sunlight. He was already in his mission clothes for tomorrow. Wearing camo pants with black combat boots and had his ovil green t-shirt on under his new sweatshirt. Ino was going to wear the same only she was going to have an olive green version of her usual purple top.

"Are you going to sleep in your mission clothes?" Ino asked as Colby walked over to her and sat down on the grass next to her.

"Yeah, less you want to see the crack of dawn again, hahaha." Colby chuckled at the memory.

"I'll pass on the crack of dawn and the baseball bat and the two balls. Although everything else I'd like to see." Ino said seductively. Colby laughed as he hugged Ino and kissed her.

"Alright in that case time to call it a day." Colby said as he got up then offered his hand to Ino which she took and he pulled her to her feet and stole a kiss as they walked inside. Tallus had the radio and as Ino and Colby walked in, Colby smiled as If You Ever Stop Loving Me by Montgomery Gentry started playing.

"Good song. Good Band and the love of my life with me. Things could not get much better than this." Colby said as the lyrics started to play.

My old man's backhand used to land,

Hard on the side of my head.

I just learned to stay out of his way.

There's been street fights, blue lights,

Long nights with the world sittin' on my chest:

It just showed me how much I could take.

Hard times, bad luck.

Sometimes, life sucks.

That's all right, I'm OK.

It ain't nothin' but another day.

But only God knows where I'd be,

If you ever stopped lovin' me.

The bank man, the boss man, the lawman,

All tryin' to get their hands on me.

And I ain't even done a danged thing wrong.

I've been waylaid, freight-trained, short-changed,

By bigger an' badder men.

An' all I got to say is: "Bring it on."

Hard rain, rough road,

So my life goes.

That's all right, I'm OK.

It ain't nothin' but another day.

But only God knows where I'd be,

If you ever stopped lovin' me.

I need you,

Gotta have you,

In my life, on my side,

Every day I'm alive,

Every night when I'm greedy an' needing,

You!

That's all right, I'm OK.

It ain't nothin' but another day.

But only God knows where I'd be,

If you ever stopped lovin' me.

It ain't nothin' but another day.

But only God knows where I'd be,

If you ever stopped lovin' me.

Baby, never stop lovin' me.

Ah, just see, what your lovin' does to me.

As the song ended Ino and Colby were asleep on the couch together. Colby had his arm wrapped around Ino's waist. The whine of locomotive echoed through the air as the fiery sunset gave way to the black night.


	11. Chapter 11

Just outside the Village of the Rails, hidden deep underground in a bunker.

"I have gotten word that the Leaf Village is assembling a team on ninja to come here to tie up loose ends leftover from Lady Whittum. Two of them are the demon children from the Miles clan. They should be arriving in the Village of the Rails later this morning. Do you want me to prepare a greeting party for them?" A cool toned voice said into a dimly lit room.

"The two demon children of the Miles clan?" A husky voice replied in surprise. "Colby and Suzanna both command a decent bounty. We should be proceed with caution with these two. We will take our time in getting them, because the Miles clan is well known in the village and they mobilize the entire clan rapidly. We saw that when Lady Whittum tried to kill Suzanna by first luring her in by holding her father captive. All they need is to get word that one of them is in trouble and the whole clan comes running. We will take our time we need to be careful from this point on. My plan to take over the Village of the Rails will not fail. Also good work Sasuke." The husky voice said.

"Thank you, Lord Kakazu." Sasuke said as he turned and left the room.

The sun crept up from its hiding place below the horizon as the first rays of light shown through the window. Colby slowly started to wake up, as he opened his eyes he found himself looking up at the ceiling and on the floor of the living room. Confused he looked to the couch to see Ino still sleeping on it. He chuckled as he stiffly sat up and heard all his joint creek and groan as he stood up. He walked down to the bathroom and saw that he was the only one up.

Ino was reluctant to wake up as the warm glow of the morning light landed on her face. She slowly opened he eyes as she yawned and stretched before rolling onto her back and realized Colby wasn't there. She got up and headed for the kitchen to fix up some breakfast. As she waited for her toast to toast she felt a pair of strong arms wrap around her waist.

"Good morning beautiful." Colby said with a smile and a kiss. Ino smiled into the kiss and gave on back.

"Akamaru! Five more minutes!" Kiba wined as he felt a weight on top of him as the sun light shined through the window.

"Well since I'm not Akamaru, you don't get five more minutes." Kiba's eyes shot open and saw Suzanna on top of him.

"Then do I get ten more minutes with you?" Kiba asked hopefully with a lazy grin on his face.

"Not this morning. Come on Colby and Ino are already up and ready to get going. Now move your lazy butt." Suzanna said as she got off of him and grabbed him by the arm and dragged him out of the bed. Kiba and Suzanna got dressed and grabbed their gear as they headed down the hall to the kitchen where Ino and Colby were waiting for them. Naruto and Sakura were also waiting in the kitchen for them. Colby and Ino were wearing the sweat shirts Tallus had given them last night. Kiba and Suzanna were finishing putting there's on as they walked into the kitchen.

"What's with the sweat shirts?" Naruto asked as he pointed to the back of Ino's sweat shirt. Sakura also looked at the sweat shirt curiously.

"My dad gave them to us last night. The symbol on the back is the mark of our clan. When we get to the Rail Village stick close to us and nobody will bother you. Now let's get moving we are burning daylight." Colby said as he slung his backpack onto his shoulder.

"Wait what? So if Ino has one then that means you two have already…" Naruto was about to finished when both Ino and Sakura punched Naruto in the face and sent him flying to the ground.

"No we have not, Naruto. Not yet." Colby said as he offered a hand to help Naruto up.

"Wait. What do you mean not yet!" Ino asked curiously.

"It's not official that you are a Miles but you will be one day." Colby smiled.

"Not if your COCKiness is higher than your head." Ino as she walked past him. Colby looked at her and opened his mouth to speak but was at a loss for a snappy comeback. "Now let's get moving." She said. "Naruto you take point."

"Alright! Guys follow me to the Village of the Rails!" Naruto said as he walked out the door, the group followed him until he started walking towards the main gate. Then the group stopped following him. "Umm, say which way is it to the Village of the Rails?" Naruto said as he turned around and saw that nobody was following him.

"Idoit!" Sakura said as she slapped him across the face.

"We aint walking to the Rail Village. You dumbass. We are taking the train there." Suzanna said as she started to walk towards the train station. Kiba, Akamaru, Ino and Sakura followed her. Colby hung back as Naruto started to follow them.

"Hey Naruto." Colby said.

"Y-yeah?" Naruto replied hesitantly.

"You up for kicking some ass?" Colby asked with a grin on his face which surprised Naruto.

"I guess." Naruto said confused.

"I thought you were supposed to be the hyperactive numb nut of the Leaf Village?" Colby joked as he and Naruto walked behind the rest of the group. Naruto looked away then shot a quick glance at Ino as she walked towards the station. Colby saw this. "Let me tell you this right now. When shit hits the fan on this mission do what you have to too keep your comrades safe and keep your head in the game."

"That is it? Or you going to give me some warning to stay away from Ino?" Naruto said as he looked to Colby with a hard look on his face. He grinned as the echo of a whistle came down the tracks.

"None of that matters now. Things change as the situation changes; we are on a mission now. This is not the time for stuff like that because we have more important issues to take care of. You think you got what it takes to see this mission through? Comrade?" Colby asked a shocked Naruto. Suzanna and Kiba had been listening to the whole things and they stopped and turned around. Sakura and Ino noticing that Kiba and Suzanna had turned also looked back at Colby and Naruto.

Naruto stared blankly at Colby for a moment before a grin starts to form on his face. "You got it" Naruto said with a nod.

"Good. I want to know I can count on the people in my squad and not have to think about it." Colby said as a whistle screamed through the air and the ringing of a bell filled the platform as the train glided into the station. Colby stuck out his hand to Naruto. He hesitated for a moment then smiled as he shook Colby's hand.

"Hey come on you two!" Ino, Sakura and Suzanna shouted as they got on the train. The two of them nodded to each other and darted to the car as the conductor yelled out "ALL ABOARD!"

On board the train, Ino and Colby sat together and Suzanna and Kiba sat together as did Naruto and Sakura. The train rolled through the hills and the click-clack of the wheels of the cars rolling over joints in the rail was all that was heard in the quiet car. Naruto looked out the window as Sakura leaned against his shoulder and fell asleep. Kiba and Suzanna a game of five card stud with each other to pass the time. Colby was leaning against the window with Ino asleep in his arms.

"Hey Suzanna? Why is Colby so relaxed with Naruto being around Ino, now when before he would instantly get all up in arms?" Kiba asked as the train rattled across a bridge. Suzanna chuckled as she looked at her hand and threw 2 cards into the junk pile and drew two cards from the deck.

"You heard him didn't you? Things change as the situation changes. We are on a mission now. We all have more important things to be worried about that Naruto hitting on Ino or trying to get Ino for himself. Besides, Ino, is madly in love with Colby and not Naruto. And a sister knows all, when it comes to her brother, and guess what." Suzanna chuckled.

"What?" Kiba asked as she showed her hand to Kiba.

"Royal Flush. I win." She laughed.

"Awe come on not again! You are cheating at this!" Kiba wined.

The train pulled into the crowed station. People were rushing across the platforms trying to make it to their train on time or running up to friends and family just arriving. Suzanna, Ino, Kiba and Colby were the first to step out of their car with Naruto and Sakura behind them. Colby slung his backpack onto his back, slung his rifle onto his shoulder and adjusted his camo baseball cap. Ino put on the camo hat she had first gotten back when on their first mission together, on backwards and threaded her long bang through the loop. They were both wearing camo pants with combat boots, but Ino had purple laces for her boots. Suzanna and Kiba both adjusted their sweatshirts as they walked down the platform. The once busy and loud platform suddenly went quiet as they walked along it, People looked at them with surprise and questioning looks on their faces.

"Hey bro are you feeling what I'm feeling?" Suzanna asked Colby.

"Yeah I do Suz. I don't like it at all. Something isn't right here. Be on your toes guys." Colby warned. As they walked through town people closed their doors and the shutters on the windows as shops closed instantly as they walked by.

"Come on lets pick up the pace and hurry to my Dad's place." Suzanna said as she broke out into a jog. "Double time!"

"Suzanna we are being watched." Rensha's warning echoed through Suzanna's head.

"Where are they?" Suzanna asked as the group ran through the streets.

"It's only one, and it's Sasuke. What business does he have here?" Rensha question.

Sasuke watched from the roof top as the group made their way to Suzanna's house and darted inside. "They have arrived." Sasuke spoke into a radio head set. "What do you want to do with them?"

"Just keep a close eye on them for the moment and don't engage them in combat just yet." Kakazu said.

Inside Suzanna's house, the team went to the living room where Steve and Tallus were watching Morgan, Zeek, Joe and Taylor playing cards with each other. Colby, Ino, Kiba, Suzanna, Naruto and Sakura took off their packs and set them on the floor. Morgan looked up from the cards she had in front of her and as she saw Suzanna, "SUZY!" she yelled as she dropped her cards and tackled Suzanna who scooped her little sister up in her arms. Zeek, and Joe looked up in surprise and then followed suit and tackled Colby who lost his balance and fell to the floor with Zeek and Joe on top of him. Taylor then jumped on top of Joe, Zeek and Colby pile.

"Who are these three little munchkins I have here?" Colby joked around laughing.

"You don't have us! We have you!" Zeek and Joe laughed to together.

"I duno you guys. Taylor looks like she has all three of you." Ino laughed. Taylor looked up in surprise to Ino's voice before a big smiled broke across her face.

"Ino!" Taylor yelled as she jumped off the boys and ran to Ino who picked her up.

"So how has Miss Taylor been?" Ino asked smiling, Taylor giggled as she smiled at Ino.

"Good. So Miss Ino has Colby been taking good care of you? If he hasn't me and Morgan and Suzy and Jazzy can beat him up for you." Taylor said with a sassy 8 year old attitude.

"Oh geaze!" Colby said as he lay on his back and covered his face with his hands. "Just one of you girls is a handful, never mind four or five of you!" He peeked over at Taylor and Ino and saw both of them pouting and glaring at him.

"What? I didn't say anything. It was Zeek who said it." Colby said pointing to Zeek.

"Hey! I did not!" Zeek said. Suzanna and Morgan started laughing. Zeek's face got all red. Colby sat up and wrapped his arms around Zeek as he tried to attack Suzanna and Morgan.

"Hey Zeek Monster where is your brother?" Colby asked. Zeek perked his head up and looked around to find his brother, Joe, wasn't around. In a flash he darted out of Colby's arms in search of his brother.

"Gease you girls are so mean trying to bully the Zeek Monster. Now I can't be bullied or intimidated by the female gender." Colby said with a smirk on his face. Suzanna and Morgan looked at Ino and Taylor who looked back at them and nodded. Ino put Taylor down and Suzanna put Morgan down and suddenly the four of them piled onto of Colby. Naruto, Kiba and Sakura burst out laughing as Colby tried to crawl out from under the girls but Ino grabbed his arm and kept him from getting away.

"You are mine." Ino said as Suzanna and Ino each laid on top of Colby and had their heads on either side of his. Morgan and Taylor were on top of the pile.

"Well this is not what. I. was. Expecting."

"You will make supper for us girls." Ino said and Colby looked at her.

"And if I refuse?" Colby asked then Suzanna bit him on his shoulder. "OOOWWW! Gease sis I aint your personal chew toy!"

"Alright kids, play time is over." Steve said chuckling as the girls got off of Colby.

'Did that hurt bro?" Suzanna asked innocently.

"Come here, dear sister." Colby said with a grin.

"Nope. I'm staying right here." Suzanna said with a witty grin.

Colby glared at Suzanna. "The shark will get even with the wolf."

"Like Steve said 'Play time is over. We need to have an adult talk with Suzanna and Colby and their friends." Tallus said in a stern tone. "Taylor and Morgan would you two go find Zeek and Joe and go upstairs and play in Morgan's room."

The kids nodded and headed up stairs quietly, the echo of trains rolling through town, carried through the air that grew thick as Tallus heard the door to Morgan's room close and began to speak.

"There are leftovers from Suzanna's mother's tyrant rampage. There is a man named Kakazu who has taken the leadership role that was vacated by Lady Whittum. He has been keeping a close eye on the family and from our intel is planning on taking over the village by force then setting his sights on the Leaf."

Everyone in the room was quiet as, Naruto clenched his fist in anger as did the rest of the squad. They knew that more was on the line than was originally expected. Tallus drew a breath before continuing.

"He probably already knows you are here, he has an Uchia working for him by the name of Sasuke."

"What? That bastard!" Colby burst out as every looked at him. "When I get the chance he will be taking a dirt nap for the rest of time."

"You know him?" Steve asked. Colby's face was red with anger.

"Colby fought Sasuke a few times back in the Leaf, and it was usually over me. Every time Colby came out on top but it felt like Sasuke was holding back during those fights." Ino piped up.

"Also Kakazu has under his control an army basically of mercenary ninja. Many of them are highly skilled but the majorities are more of a pain to deal with than a real threat." Tallus said as a loud creak was hear coming from the stair case. Suzanna's ears perked up as she glances behind her. Colby looked to her and motioned with his head to check it out. The two of them went to the stair case and looked up to the top of the stairs to see Morgan, Taylor, Zeek and Joe sitting at the top of the stairs.

"Suzy are you going to fight the bad guys again?" Morgan asked her voice quivering. Suzanna walked up the stairs but Colby sayed at the bottom and looked at the floor and scratched the back of his neck. Sakura and Ino walked over and looked up the stairs as Suzanna sat in front of her sister.

"Yes, I am going to fight the bad guys again." Suzanna said "But I need you to be strong for me."

"I don't want you to have to fight again get hurt." Morgan said as she tried to keep from crying.

"Morgan, don't worry. Suzanna won't get hurt. I promise, but we have to fight the bad guys to keep you, Taylor, Zeek, Joe, Uncle Steve, Uncle Tallie and everyone in the family and the village safe. " Colby said from the bottom of the stairs and he started up the stairs with Ino in tow.

"Don't worry my little sis, I'll be ok I have Colby, Kiba and Ino with me. Nothing will happen to me". Suzanna said.

"Promise?" Morgan asked with a sniffle as she wiped her eyes.

"Promise" Suzanna said as she hugged her younger sister.

"If something happens to you, I'm going to beat Colby first for not keeping you safe. Then I'm going to beat you for getting hurt. Ok?" Morgan said and Suzanna could only smile at her little sister.

"Ok, Morgan I understand." Suzanna said.

"Yeah Morgan, we have cousin Colby and Suzanna to protect us! We don't have nothing to worry about." Zeek said smiling. Joe nodded in agreement as Colby and Ino got to the top of the stairs.

"Colby are you going to protect Jazzy too?" Taylor asked as she looked to Ino and Colby. He smiled as Ino knelt down to Taylor.

"Don't worry Taylor we will protect everyone in the family including you and your sister, Jazz. You just leave the important stuff to us." Ino said.

"Zeek, Joe, huddle time." Colby said and the two boys darted over to him as he knelt down. "I need you two to start training to become as strong or stronger than either Uncle Jerris, your dad, myself, Uncle Tallie, Uncle Steve and Cousin Denny. When we can't fight anymore it will be down to you guys to protect Morgan, Taylor and everyone else. You two are Miles boys, never forget that. Questions?"

Joe raised his hand.

"Yes?"

"When do we start?" Joe asked with the most serious face an 8 year old could possibly have. Colby couldn't help but smile with a light chuckle.

"Tomorrow morning. 0530. Now off to bed with you two. 0530 comes early." Colby said as the boys nodded then darted to the extra bedroom and closed the door. Ino looked at the brothers as they went then looked to Colby with a questioning look.

"It's part of the plan for this mission. Explain once the kids are in bed. Get Naruto and Kiba up here."

"Hey Naruto. Hey Kiba come over here." Sakura called to them. The two boys came over as did Tallus and Steve.

"Ok, plan for tomorrow. Ino and I will start training Zeek and Joe. Suzanna and Kiba will take Naruto and Sakura around to meet the family. The master plan being this is an extended mission, basically just act like we live here now but keep an eye open and an ear out for any news about Kakazu and his plans. Always be on guard but also be relaxed and look like you have your guard down. They may wait for us to get comfortable and then make their move."

"And if they decide to make their move tomorrow?" Suzanna asked.

"We ensure the safety of the kids first. That's priority number 1. Then we deal with the threat in a manner that we feel appropriate or slightly overkill depending on what comes to mind first, but we have to ensure the safety of the kids before anything else." Colby said, the hardness in his voice was clear to the others. Naruto yawned and rubbed his eye as the group looked at him.

"Tired already Naruto?" Kiba asked.

"Yeah I am" Naruto said.

"It's been quiet the day anyways. We might as well call it a night." Colby said. "Sakura what did you being for medical supplies? Actaully, Ino you and Sakura go with Suzanna to catch up with the family and talk with Cousin Jason and his wife about medical and weapons supplies. Kiba and Naruto you will be with me but Naruto I want you to have a few clones around town scouting but no more than 4 and keep one with Suzanna, Ino and Sakura. Ino when get an opportunity to us your mind transfer on a bird to scout above the village for anything unusual or whatever catches your eye as odd. Kiba if you can summon like ninja hounds have them be with the Naruto clones, Suzanna's squad and with us." The group nodded in agreement with the plan. As they came down the stairs there was a knock at the door. Suzanna went to open it and was surprised to see an old friend at the door.

"Hey Suzanna." A voice said.

"Hey Nagato, come on in." Suzanna said "Hey Colby, Gator is here!"

"Hey Gator! It's been a while how you been?" Colby asked as he shook Nagato's hand and gave him a bro hug.

"Pein?" Naruto, Sakura, Kiba and Ino said in shock.

"Naruto? Sakura? Ino? Kiba? What are you doing here?" Nagato asked in shock and confusion.

"The same can be asked of you. Last time we meet you were the leader of the Atkusti and had just about destroyed the Leaf!" Naruto said as he lundged at Nagato but Colby slammed him up against the wall before he reached Nagato.

"Let me go! He is responsible for the destruction of the Leaf and I'm going to….." Naruto shouted.

"What the hell is going on here?" Tallus and Steve said as they both came running in.

"You are not going to do anything! Listen and listen close Naruto because I'm only going to tell you once. Nagato is on our side this time around. I am friends with him and have been for a while now. You try to do anything along the lines of getting even with him for what he did I will personally give you the ass whooping of a life time. I don't have to put up with any of this kind of bullshit on this mission." Colby tried to look Naruto in the eye but Naruto looked away. " Now before you answer without thinking I will tell you what your answer will be, you will look me in the eye and say "Yes Sir, I understand sir." If you don't we will have issues. Now do you understand what I'm telling you?"

"Colby let Naruto go!" Ino said as she rushed up to the two boys and tried to separate them.

Naruto looked Colby in the eye. Naruto's eyes had changed into the Nine Tails' eyes. "Yes sir. I understand sir."

"Good." Colby said coldly as he let go of Naruto his eyes changed back to normal.

"This mission you kids are on is too important for you guys to be settling old scores. Not only does the future of this village hang in the balance but possibly so does the Leaf's future." Steve said flatly as he gave everyone a hard look.

"Alright let's get sleeping arrangements made up. Suzanna, Kiba, Akamaru, Naruto can stay here. Nagato can Ino, Colby and Sakura stay at your place tonight?" Tallus asked.

"Of course they can. Though I have a guest over but I am sure he will understand." Nagato said. It was quiet for a moment as a light rain began to fall and quickly picked up into a down pour.

"Alright, it's been a full day and time to call it a day." Colby said with a little edginess still in his voice. As he pulled a camo rain jacket with the family emblem on the back, out from his pack and gave it to Ino. She put it on over the sweat shirt and flipped the hood up. A quick goodnight was all that was said as Ino, Sakura and Colby headed out the door with Nagato leading them. The rain was heavy, cold and steady as they crossed town.

"You have changed a lot in the time I have known you, Gator. The last time we meet" Colby said as he got an uneasy feeling and locked and loaded his rifle then slung it back onto his shoulder. Ino walked next to Colby as did Sakura as the street lights gleamed in the falling rain and the sound of the rail yard was drowned out by the sound of the rain as it came down.

"Was on the battle field." Nagato said finishing Colby's sentence. "I've seen a lot and done many things many of which I now regret doing."

"I still can't believe the thorough job you did of leveling the Leaf" Ino said as the memory of that day came back to her and she shuttered.

"I hope I never have to use that jutsu again." Nagato said regretfully as they arrived at his house. "I'll show you to your room"

The house was nothing to brag about, unpainted wood siding that was weathered and sun beaten to a sliver grey. The living room was modest sized with a small kitchen attached to it and two modest sized bedrooms.

"Here is your room. Place make yourself at home and I'll see you in the morning." Nagato said before heading to his room and closing the door without a word more.

"I think we should have stay back at Suzanna's house. Something doesn't feel right here." Ino said nervously as Colby closed the door to the room. The tapping of the rain on the roof calmed down but then pick right back up.

"I know, I feel it too as does Shinkasen but for tonight we will have to deal with it. I'll sleep between you and the door if that makes it easier for you to sleep." Colby said as he pulled out a revolver from his bag and loaded it. Ino nodded as she climbed into bed still with all her clothes on only taking off the sweatshirt and the rain coat. Colby followed and put the revolver between the mattress and the opposite wall in case it was needed.

"Is everything read for later this weekend?" Sasuke asked a shadowy figure.

"Everything is ready, just need the right timing to attack." The figure said as the rain picked up even more and thunder started to roll across the sky.

"Good" Sasuke said as he took off. A crack of lightning lit up the sky reviling the shadow figure to be Nagato.


	12. Chapter 12

**I don't own anything**

It's was the middle of the night and all was quiet with the exception of the lullaby of the rain coming down on the roof of Steve's house where Suzanna, Kiba, Akakmaru and Naruto were staying. Suzanna couldn't sleep and tossed and turned often and occasionally woke Kiba up.

"Is everything ok babe?" Kiba ask quietly as Suzanna rolled onto her side and face Kiba.

"No nothing is ok. I got a bad feeling about Colby, Ino and Sakura staying over with Nagato. Last time he and Colby met was on the battle field a while ago. Colby had tried to keep Nagato from attacking the Leaf Village but Nagato was too strong for him. Colby told the family that the injuries he got from the fight were from trying to do some light work on the engine by himself and parts had fallen on top of him."

"Oh, so nobody suspects that Nagato could turn on us." Kiba said.

"That's what I'm afraid of." Suzanna said with a shudder.

"We can't really help him we aren't there with him. We will see what the morning brings." Kiba said.

"Yeah, I'm still worried about him, Ino and Sakura over there." Suzanna said.

"I know, but try to get some sleep." Kiba said.

Over at Nagato's house neither Ino or Colby had gotten much sleep.

"Hey Ino, I'm going to check on Sakura." Colby said as he got up and grabbed the revolver and a flashlight.

"Okay." Ino said as she rolled over and faced the door as he walked out. The floor boards squeaked with each step Colby took and added creepiness to an already uneasy feeling he had. When he got to the living room Sakura was awake on the couch looking up at the ceiling.

"Hey Sakura you awake?" Colby asked.

"Yeah what's up? You and Ino can't sleep either?" Sakura asked.

"Yeah, and I'd personally feel better if all three of us were in the same room. Less of a chance that one of us get taken out." Colby said.

"Yeah, I'll join you guys. It's creepy being out here alone." Sakura said as she got up and grabbed her bag as the two of them walked down the hall and into the room Ino was in.

"Hey I'm back. I got Sakura with me too." Colby said.

"Ok, hey Sakura. You get any sleep?" Ino asked.

"No I haven't gotten any sleep. I don't like it here." Sakura said as she set her gear down on the floor and sat in a small recliner. The lullaby of the rain had stopped and rays of moonlight started to peak through the black clouds. The cry of a midnight express running through town echoed eerily through the air.

"Pack your gear and get ready to go. I ain't staying here. I'll sleep on the floor back with the others if I have too." Colby said and he threw on his sweatshirt and put his boots on.

"Yeah let's go, I don't think we are safe here." Sakura said and Ino nodded in agreement as she threw on her pants and didn't bother putting on a shirt as she threw on her sweatshirt. Sakura was already packed and ready to go.

"We ready?" Colby asked.

"Yeah" Ino and Sakura said and the three of them walked out the door to the hallway and as Colby opened up the main door to walk out the sound of foot steps coming down the hall set everyone on high alert.

"Go, go, go" Colby urgently whispered as he rushed Ino and Sakura out the door and out into the damp late night air closing the door behind him. "Move!" Colby said as the three of them darted down the street towards Steve's house.

Nagato watched from the living room window as Ino, Sakura and Colby vanished into the night. Sasuke came walking up next to him.

"They took off?" Sasuke said.

"Yes. Something must have tipped them off to your being here." Nagato said.

"So much for ambushing them while they slept." Sasuke said flatly.

"We'll have another shot sooner than later." Nagato said.

Colby had his revolver and his flashlight drawn as they ran down the street. Both Ino and Sakura had their kuni at the ready as they followed Colby. It wasn't long til they reached Steve's house and Colby tried the door but it was locked. He rattled the door knob a few times then left it alone. Then he rattled it again. Colby did this a third time then left it alone.

"Door is locked you know." Ino said.

"I know. It's a code me and Suzanna use when she would come over to my house at night I'd pretend to fall asleep on the living room couch by the door and when I'd here it rattle 3 distinct time in a row I knew it was her. It's the same for her." Colby said.

Suzanna was lying in bed when she heard the door knob to the front door rattle once, twice then three times. Suzanna rolled over fast and fell out of the bed and woke Kiba up in the process.

"What the hell?" Kiba asked as Suzanna popped up from the floor.

"Colby's at the door!" Suzanna said as she darted out the door and down the stairs and opened the front door. Colby, Ino and Sakura were waiting on the other side as Suzanna tackle hugged all three of them.

"I was worried about all three of you!" Suzanna said as Kiba came down the stairs with the little ones right behind him.

"Yeah, I'm glad we got out when we did." Ino said as she picked up a half awake Taylor.

"I think we just barely escaped being ambushed by Nagato and Sasuke. Shinkasen told me he felt Sasuke's chakra appear as we were scrambling to get out." Colby said. Naruto was sleeping on a recliner but slowly woke up to the conversation.

"What are you guys doing here?" Naruto asked as he rubbed the sleep from his eyes.

"Long story. Go back to sleep Naruto we will tell you in the morning." Sakura said, Naruto nodded and went back to sleep.

"Sakura you can have the couch. I've got cots for you two." Suzanna said.

"Hey Colby, Ino can you two stay in our room tonight and keep the monsters away?" Taylor asked. Morgan, Zeek and Joe nodded together looking at Colby.

"Of course we can stay in your room tonight, Miss Taylor." Ino said.

"Zeke, Joe are the monsters been too much for you to handle tonight?" Colby asked the brothers.

"Yeah, we need help and Uncle Steve and Uncle Tally have helped us once but we don't want to keep waking them up." Zeke said.

"Alright everyone let's head to bed. Suz, the cots still in the kids room?" Colby asked.

"Yeah under their beds" Suzanna said as she and Kiba headed up the stairs. "Morgan you going to come sleep with me and Kiba?" Morgan nodded and followed her sister up the stairs.

"Ino, can you sleep with me?" Taylor asked. Ino smiled and nodded as they followed Colby, Zeke and Joe up the stairs.

In the kids room, Colby set up his cot by the bunk beds the boys were using and put his gear under it. Ino laid down on Taylor's bed and Taylor crawled in and snuggled next to Ino.

"Hey Ino, how did I get the short end of the stick on getting to snuggle with you tonight?" Colby teased.

"Because I asked first!" Taylor said. Colby and Ino both laughed.

"Yeap, and you had your chance to snuggle with me but you also made me run in the middle of the night! So there, you don't get to snuggle with me for the rest of the night." Ino said.

"Ouch Colby, you just dog housed." Joe said. Colby spun around and Ino and Taylor laughed.

"Joe your time is coming. You will dog housed one day too." Colby said as he laid down on his cot.

"Night boys." Ino said.

"Night babe. Night Taylor, Joe, Zeke." Colby echoed.

"Night" the kids echoed. It wasn't long afterwards that the kids were asleep but Colby and Ino were still awake as the clock down stair rang out the 2am chime.

"Ino you still awake?" Colby whispered.

"Yeah, I am." Ino said.

"I dunno about you but I feel a lot better here."

"Yeah same here, it feels safer." Ino said as she carefully rolled over to face Colby and tried not to wake Taylor up.

"Yeah it does. Goodnight babe. I love you." Colby said.

"Night, love you too. Say come here for a sec." Ino said Colby got up and walked over to Ino and knelt next to her. "Come closer." Ino said and Colby grinned as he leaned in and kissed Ino.

"Der can't forget about the goodnight kiss." Colby chuckled as did Ino. Colby went back over to his cot and laid down. Ino rolled back over and drifted off the sleep. Colby laid there looking at the ceiling waiting for sleep to come to him and listening to the slow steady breathing of Ino and the kids when he heard Akamaru growl and bark aggressively. Colby quietly got up and grabbed his rifle, screwed on a silencer, grabbed a clip and walked out of the room and closed the door behind him. Turning on the flashlight on his rifle and loading the clip he headed down stairs and heard Akamaru by the back door.

"Hey what do you got?" Colby asked Akamaru as the two of them stepped outside. Colby scanned the back yard with his light but saw nothing.

"Is Kiba still inside sleeping?" Colby asked and Akamaru nodded. "You smell someone that is not welcome here don't you?" Akamaru nodded again. Colby sat down on the back porch and watched the clouds move out and the moon come out.

"Shinkasen you picking up anything" Colby thought.

"No, I'm not getting anything." Shinkasen said.

"Akamaru you probably smell old scents. Let's head back inside and get some rest." Colby said and went inside Akamaru followed. The two of them went back to their rooms and got a precious few hours of sleep before the sun woke up.

"Colby! Colby! It's 530 in the morning! Colby wake up!" Zeke and Joe said as they started pushing on Colby's shoulder trying to wake him up. Ino rolled over with Taylor in her arms so the two of them could watch the events to follow.

"Meh! I don't wanna!" Colby said as he pulled the covers over his head.

"You have to train us!" Joe and Zeke said.

"This is part of your training. Trying to get me out of bed!" Colby grunted.

"Zeke, Joe you two are going about it all the wrong way." Ino said as she got up.

"We are?" Zeke said.

"Yeah you are. Watch how I do it." Ino said as Taylor giggled. "Good morning darling!" Ino said in a sweet voice as she pulled the covers back from Colby's head and kissed him.

"Ooh well good morning there beautiful." Colby said as Ino pulled the cover partly off of him. "Come to join me finally?"

"No not really." Ino said as she laid on top of him. Colby looked at her confused.

"What do you mean not really?" He asked.

"It's time to get up." Ino said as she kissed him again then grabbed him and rolled over off the cot and onto the floor. Next thing Colby knew he was on his back on the floor with Ino on top of him. Taylor, Zeke, and Joe all laughed as Ino got up off Colby.

"One that is so cheating and two it's not 530am." Colby said with a grin as he got up and hit the clock that was on the dresser. The hour hand jumped ahead by three hours so it read 830 am instead of 530 am.

"Rule one of training. Make sure your clock is correct before going to bed and if you get up at night check it again. You both fail lesson one." Colby said.

"What do you mean it's 830?" Ino said as she put on her camo pants and threw on her sweatshirt and went down stairs where Suzanna, Kiba, Tallus, Steve, Morgan and Akamaru were having breakfast.

"Well one of them is up." Steve chuckled.

"What happened to the 0530 wake up time to train the boys?" Tallus said.

"He switched the time on the clock in the bed room by three hours. Is it really 8:30?" Ino said.

"Yeah it is." Suzanna laughed. Ino rolled her eyes and went back up stairs. Shortly after that Colby came flying down stairs with Ino hot on his heels. Zeke, Joe and Taylor came scrambling down after her. Ino chased him around the living then out the back door. Zeke, Taylor and Joe followed her outside.

"Looks like someone is in trouble" Suzanna said as Ino and the kids came walking back in but Colby was missing from the group.

"Don't worry we got him. So how about some breakfast guys?" Ino said as Joe, Taylor and Zeke were all giggling and laughing.

"What you guys do to poor Colb?" Steve said trying not to laugh as he saw Colby stumble through the back door.

"Ino kicked his butt and we helped!" Taylor piped up as Colby came walking up to the kitchen's island counter and sat down on the bar stool and plopped his head face down on the counter top.

"Looks like you had quite the night and quite the morning there bro." Suzanna teased as Sakura came walking out of the bathroom and Naruto came in from sitting on the front porch.

"You have no idea what kind of night it was. Nagato is no where's close to being a trust worthy friend or even a friend. He's teamed up with Sasuke. Which is part of the reason why I set the clock off by three hours is cause I didn't want to get caught with the kids alone should we get ambushed, but anyways I got a train to meet at the station. Zeke and Joe you are coming with me. Ino you coming?" Colby said.

"Yeah I'll come." Ino said and the four of them headed out.

"That was kind rushed." Suzanna said. "He didn't even give Zeke or Joe a chance to have breakfast."

"Don't worry about them. Colby is probably going to treat them to breakfast at the Diner by the station. Those boys love going there." Tallus said.

Ino, Colby, Joe and Zeke were walking down the main drag of town heading towards the station. Colby and Ino had their clan sweatshirts as did Zeke and Joe. The two boys walked between Colby and Ino as they walked past an old diner. The outside was all stainless steel and had the shape of a passenger railroad car. On the side in cream white letters outlined in blue was "Railroad Diner". Zeke and Joe started to walk towards it when Ino called over to them.

"Hey where you two think you're going?" Ino said.

"Breakfast!" Zeke called back.

"Hey come on you two. We'll come back and have breakfast later, I got a surprise waiting for you at the station!" Colby called and soon as he finished the two boys raced back to Ino and him. Just as they turned to go Denny comes walking out of the diner with Jerris and George.

"Hey! It's the Colb monster with his little minions The Zeke mister and Rockin Joe!" Jerris calls out and Zeke and Joe go racing it them.

"Hey Uncle Jerris, Denny, George." Colby calls as they walk up to him and Ino.

"Well I see he hasn't scared you off Ino." George teased.

"Haha. No he hasn't, he can't seem to get rid of me." Ino said.

"Why would I want to get rid of you?" Colby said. "You guys just finish having breakfast?"

"Yeah we did. Are you heading down to the station?" Jerris asked.

"Yeah I am. You also heading that way?" Colby asked.

"Yes we are." Jerris said. Zeke and Joe giggling and laughing grabbed Colby and Jerris' attention as Denny had Joe tucked under one are and Zeke tucked ender the other arm.

"You guys ready to go?" He said laughing as he put the boys down. Jerris, Ino, Colby and George all laughed.

As they walked down to the station Colby and Jerris talked about what happened last night while Ino, George and Dennis shot the breeze. The station was empty except for a few people waiting for the 9am morning mixed local train. The station platform had a roof running the length of the platform but did not cover the tracks. The station was an older Victorian style station with decorative wood awnings and trim.

"Hey Colby where is the surprise you are talking about?" Zeke and Joe asked.

"It's coming. It should be here in a little bit." Colby said.

"The only train that comes through is the morning mixed at 9 no other trains come during that time." Joe said.

"Today is the exception." Colby grinned as a loud, throaty but clear whistle roared through the air grabbing everyone's attention as it echoed from down the tracks. Zeke and Joe's eye grew wide as the unfamiliar whistle roared through the air.

"No it can't be THAT engine!" Joe said as the whistle again roared through the air and the light from a headlight glared down the tracks despite a bright morning sun.

"Ah but it is THAT engine." Colby said smiling as the concrete platform stated to vibrate and sound of the rail groaning became known. A huge white circle perched on top of an equally massive pilot with the shining headlight mounted between the two. A column of black smoke erupted skyward after each "chug" of the engine. The number boards on either side of the headlight along with a pair of number boards at the top of the smoke box just in front of the dual inline smoke stacks displayed the numbers "4023" in white numbers. Zeke and Joe's jaws hung wide open as the bell on the engine started to ring as the massive engine entered the station and it's true size was made apparent as the top of the boiler stood well above the roof that covered the platform. The leading truck had two axels and the wheels that were attached to them were as tall as Zeke and Joe and were black with white trim. The cylinder that sat between the two axles barely had any clearance between it and the platform and it was as tall as Colby who stands 6 feet tall. The white connecting rods, driving rods and running gear clanked and rattled as they moved. The massive driving wheels were taller than anyone on the platform and there were four connected to the cylinder. The white smoke box ended just after the last driving wheel and the rest of the boiler was all black and it shined like a mirror in the morning sun. Also after the last driving wheel was another cylinder that was the same massive size as the first one and connected to it too was four massive driving wheels. A maze of pipes and valves traveled just above the tops of the wheels and under the walking platform that ran the length of boiler. The sides of the white painted firebox sat on top of the trailing truck which was like the leading pilot truck. The cab of the engine loomed over the platform and Joe and Zeke had to look straight up to see the engineer waving to them from his window. "4023" Was painted in white on the side of the cab.

"HEY MIKE! ENJOYING YOUR NEW BABY!?" Colby yelled out as the cab rolled by.

"She's not mine but I am enjoying her! We just got her today!" Mike shouted down from the cab.

The tender was a block of black painted steel the rolled on seven axels totaling fourteen wheels. In white letters "Leaf Valley Railroad" was painted on the side of the tender. Mike opened up the throttle a little bit and the dual inline stacks barked out black smoke that shot skyward and the chugs coming from the stack was a small display of the power contained inside the boiler.

"Wow!" Zeke and Joe said in awe.

"They seriously make them that big?" Ino asked.

"Yeap they do build them that big." Denny said as an air horn blared from down the tracks.

"There you go Joe and Zeke that was your surprise." Colby said.

"That was totally WICKED!" the boys yelled together. "Can we go the breakfast now?"

Back at the house Suzanna, Steve, Tallus, Kiba, Naruto, Sakura, Morgan and Taylor has just finished breakfast and were talking about the day's game plan when there was a knock at the door.

"Hey Jazz! Come on in." Suzanna said as she opened the door. Taylor ran straight to her sister and Jazz scooped her up.

"Hey Suzanna! HEY there is my little trouble maker!" Jazz said as Taylor hugged her.

"Ino and Colby are in town and they brought friends!" Taylor said excitedly.

"Really? I thought I had seen him and Ino by the station with the boys and Jerris, Denny and George." Jazz said.

"Hey Jazz, when is Jason supposed to come get the boys? I need to talk to him about the current events." Tallus said.

"Later today." Jazz said.

"Ok, also Jazz this is Naruto and Sakura if you could I need you, Suzanna and Kiba to make sure they meet the rest of the family. We have a situation developing and we may need to ask for more help from the Leaf should we be unable to handle it ourselves."

"Yeap, no problem Uncle Tallus." Jazz said "You guys ready to head out?"

Suzanna, Kiba, Naruto and Sakura all nodded and the group headed out the door.

"I think we may need to tap the Leaf for more support. I'd put a word into the Superintendent to have a passenger consist and one of the diesels at the ready in the Leaf. In case we need them we can't have a crew constantly keeping a steam engine at the ready. A diesel you fire it up and go." Steve said when the group had left.

"We will see. I think we maybe able to handle it." Tallus said.

"Well we should get Jerris over here and talk with him about this too." Steve said.

"Yes, I agree we should" Tallus said.

Jerris, Zeke, Ino, Colby, Denny, George, and Joe were heading back to the house the streets were empty which was highly unusual for that time of the morning. Usually the street was crowded with people heading to work, crews coming off their shift and merchants set up in the street.

"I don't like this." Denny said as he and Georg dropped back a few steps and had Joe and Zeke between them and Colby and Jerris.

"I don't either." Jerris said.

"Hey Colby is everything ok?" Zeke asked.

"No. Now I really need you guys to stay quiet and keep an ear and an eye out for anything that looks odd. Ok? This part of your training. Being able to detect and spot potential threats in an urban area." Colby said.

"Ok" the boys said together.

"Jerris we are being watched. Roof top at three o'clock." George said. Jerris nodded and Colby looked over and saw Sasuke on the roof top.

"This is not good." Colby said "That's Sasuke Uchiha and wait there is another with him…" Colby said as a figure landed next to Sasuke and stood up ".. Oh you got to be shitting me. Please not now." Colby said as the figure turned out to be Nagato.

"Is that Nagato?" Jerris said confused.

"Yeah it is. I never told anyone but me and him had a huge falling out and he's got a grudge and I have a score to settle with him. I really don't want to do it with Zeke and Joe with us."

"We will help you Colby!" Joe said.

"No. You and Zeke aren't strong enough yet to help out. Can one of you guys get the boys out of here and find Jason." Jerris said. George nodded and grabbed Zeke and Joe.

"Come on let's go find your father. You guys need to get to a safe place." George said as he and the boy darted down an alley way.

"Jerris, Denny. So nice to see you two again." Nagato spoke.

"I would say the feeling is likewise but seeing you on the opposing side doesn't put a good taste in my mouth." Jerris said.

"Too bad. My quarrel is with Colby not with you are Denny." Nagato said as he jumped down from the roof top to the street.

"Old scores never settle easily do they?" Colby said.

"No they don't" Nagato said.


End file.
